The strongest version of U.23 Vietnam revealed: Dream final, determined to win against host Indonesia

The 2-1 victory over U.23 Philippines in the semi-finals of the 2025 Southeast Asian U.23 tournament yesterday afternoon, July 25, showed that the strength of U.23 Vietnam has only now been fully revealed.

U.23 Vietnam and the QUALITY FIRST ATTACK

U.23 Vietnam did not play convincingly in the group stage, especially in the match against U.23 Cambodia when they only won 2-1 with a disjointed play style. However, in a cup tournament, the previous match is never a reference point for the next match. Especially with a strategist as good at holding cards and changing tactics as Mr. Kim Sang-sik.

U.23 Vietnam surprised U.23 Philippines when, instead of playing cautiously and cautiously as usual in a semi-final match, Mr. Kim let his students dominate the game, boldly pressuring the opponent with a risky but calculated attack. The two wings became the main attacking force of U.23 Vietnam, especially the left wing with the spearhead Phi Hoang. Both shots that hit the post in the 9th and 11th minutes came from extremely good left-wing attacks, when Phi Hoang, Van Khang and Dinh Bac flexibly switched positions. If Dinh Bac's shot that hit the post came from a pass back to the second line, then the situation where Anh Quan's shot hit the goal frame later came from a sideline situation.

U.23 Vietnam won tickets to the finals in the last 3 seasons

Photo: DONG NGUYEN KHANG

Coach Kim Sang-sik surprised his opponents because, despite using a 3-5-2 formation with 3 central midfielders, Mr. Kim ignored the midfield to pressure the U.23 Philippines' two wings. The red-shirted midfielders only played the role of keeping the rhythm of the game, circulating the ball, while the pioneers who created opportunities all came from the wings. The running, passing, passing, and flexible coordination of U.23 Vietnam clearly showed the spirit of the Korean coach. It was fast, strong, and direct, using speed and muscle to hit the opponent's face.

Xuan Bac was voted the best player in the semi-final match between U.23 Vietnam and the Philippines.

It was the steady, neat and determined play of U.23 Vietnam that made U.23 Philippines, despite unexpectedly opening the score from a fluctuating situation, unable to maintain the game. Dinh Bac's equalizer (minute 41) and Xuan Bac's goal to increase the score to 2-1 (minute 54) both had the same scenario: the left wing crossed accurately, then the player inside took over the space to score. With an average height of the whole team over 1.7 m (8 players 1.8 m or taller), U.23 Vietnam has a good physique, combined with the possession of extremely skillful crossers like Phi Hoang, Van Khang, Mr. Kim took perfect advantage of the formula to create wing attacks to score goals.

Dinh Bac made another achievement

With limited time for concentration and training (only about 3 weeks), Coach Kim Sang-sik has not been able to build U.23 Vietnam in the direction of controlling the ball thoroughly and passing the ball smoothly. But Mr. Kim still knows how to create typical formations that require little time to form, such as flank attacks or set pieces. The Korean coach has "measured his coat according to his cloth", making the most of his students' strengths and finding a suitable playing style. Whether it is beautiful or not, it is not important, the important thing is to win.

" EXTRA FORCE" TAKES TIME

Coach Kim Sang-sik's use of players in past matches has always surprised fans.

In the match against U.23 Cambodia, he put the "strange bird" Xuan Bac in the midfield. In the semi-final against U.23 Philippines, he gave the position to Cong Phuong to show his first performance. And even though there were 30 minutes left in the match and U.23 Vietnam did not have a safe gap, Mr. Kim also took captain Van Khang off the field to make way for Van Thuan, a player whom he had previously... crossed out, then called back to replace when striker Thanh Nhan was injured.

The way Kim Sang-sik uses his players in the U.23 Vietnam team is unpredictable, similar to what happens in the Vietnam national team. In the youth arena, the frequency of Kim's rotation is even greater. Because more than anyone, a coach who once struggled to find a place in the youth football environment understands that the more young players are immersed in challenges, the easier it is for them to mature and reveal their qualities. Some players have proven themselves, such as midfielder Xuan Bac with his header, or defenders Anh Quan and Phi Hoang, who both contributed significantly to the attack.

However, most of the reserve players such as Van Thuan, Le Viktor, Thanh Dat... have not been able to assert themselves. For example, Van Thuan, although running very enthusiastically, still handles the ball clumsily. Le Viktor is also full of enthusiasm but lacks finesse, especially in situations where the opponent puts pressure on him. Mr. Kim needs more from "group 2", in the context of the final match being very difficult, requiring U.23 Vietnam to have many strategic reserve players to change flexibly.

U.23 Vietnam will play the final at 8pm on July 29. The third consecutive Southeast Asian championship is only one more hurdle away from Coach Kim and his team. Our opponent is host Indonesia - the team that won a thrilling penalty shootout against U.23 Thailand (1-1 draw in regular and extra time).

After the semi-final match, the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) awarded the U.23 Vietnam team 500 million VND for reaching the final. Previously, the VFF awarded 500 million VND for two wins in the group stage. In total, up to this point, the U.23 Vietnam team has received 1 billion VND.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/phien-ban-manh-nhat-cua-u23-viet-nam-lo-dien-chung-ket-trong-mo-quyet-thang-chu-nha-indonesia-185250725210805435.htm