Vietnam U.23 Team: Know how to transform to make a difference

The 3-0 victory over U.23 Laos in the opening match of the Southeast Asian tournament may not be enough to confirm the absolute strength of U.23 Vietnam. However, it was a match that clearly showed the flexibility in the tactical operation of coach Kim Sang-sik.

FLEXIBLE ON THE FIELD

Normally, in the 3-4-3 formation, coach Kim Sang-sik arranges a left-footed striker to dribble from the wing and then turn inside to finish, or continue to coordinate with teammates. The U.23 Vietnam team is not lacking in players who are good at this task. The names that can be mentioned are Nguyen Quoc Viet and Nguyen Dinh Bac. However, the Korean strategist chose Khuat Van Khang, a left-footed player, for this position, with the intention of forming two heavy "drills" on the left flank with defender Nguyen Phi Hoang, continuously drilling deep into the bottom wing.

Coach Kim Sang-sik is building the U.23 Vietnam team into a unified and diverse team - PHOTO: DONG NGUYEN KHANG

Initially, this plan was quite effective when the U.23 Vietnam team continuously created impressive left-wing situations. But after only about 15 minutes without scoring, coach Kim Sang-sik immediately adjusted. Van Khang was pushed into the center, playing as a shuttle midfielder, tending to lean to the right. The formation now changed from 3-4-3 to 3-5-2 and central midfielder Van Truong leaned more to the left.

The difference came almost immediately when Van Khang entered the penalty area, received a pass from Nhat Minh and decisively scored in the 19th minute. This is a common image of Van Khang when he played in the 2022 AFC U23 Championship, under coach Gong Oh-kyun. That was the tournament where Van Khang and Van Truong made a strong impression on fans as well as experts, even though this duo was the youngest in the U23 Vietnam squad at that time.

Dinh Bac unexpectedly had to practice separately, Cong Phuong was confident he could compete with his senior.

Besides this surprising situation, Van Khang also showed why he was given the captain's armband by coach Kim Sang-sik. When the midfielder of Viettel The Cong Club appeared in the midfield, the U.23 Vietnam team had more flexibility in coordination. This came from Van Khang's ability to control the ball, pass short and keep the rhythm well. Without having to move too far, the U.23 Vietnam captain played the ball steadily, simply but effectively, helping the team maintain the game and continuously pressure the opponent.

For a long time, fans have not seen Van Khang playing in the middle of the field. At The Cong Viettel Club as well as at the national team level, he is often placed as a full-back or winger. But in the 2025 Southeast Asian U.23 Championship, after what he has shown, it is likely that Van Khang will be given the role of a shuttle midfielder more often.

ANYONE CAN SHINE

In the press conference after the match against the U.23 Laos team, when asked "What do you think when 2 out of 3 goals of the U.23 Vietnam team came from a central defender and not a striker?", coach Kim Sang-sik answered briefly: "The victory of the whole team is the most important. Whoever scores is fine." That shows the clear direction of the Korean strategist. He is building the U.23 Vietnam team into a well-balanced team, playing diversely and flexibly so that each player can make a difference.

Van Khang was assigned to play as a left winger, but scored when playing as a box-to-box midfielder. The person who created the goal for him was Nhat Minh, a left-sided center-back who moved up very high. The player who scored the double was center-back Hieu Minh. And in the second goal, Dinh Bac was the one who took the corner kick and assisted, not Van Truong, who was in charge of the corner kicks for the U.23 Vietnam team. Coach Kim Sang-sik also used a maximum of 5 substitutions, in which he replaced 2 players who did not play well in the first half, Anh Quan and Quoc Viet. The Korean strategist actively changed, adjusted, and created opportunities for as many players as possible so that the whole team could catch up with the tournament and play better in the next matches.

Of course, U.23 Laos is not a difficult enough test to conclude the overall strength of U.23 Vietnam. But looking at the playing style, the approach to the match, the spirit and the diversity in scoring options, fans can completely expect a new, modern and potential look of the young team under coach Kim Sang-sik.

The next opponent of U.23 Vietnam in Group B is U.23 Cambodia. As long as they do not lose in the match on July 22 (8 p.m.), coach Kim Sang-sik and his team will enter the semi-finals.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/doi-u23-viet-nam-biet-bien-hoa-de-tao-su-khac-biet-185250720211425365.htm