In the press conference before the match between U23 Vietnam and U23 Jordan, coach Kim Sang-sik admitted that the team he led was the weakest in Group A.
The injuries of Vi Hao and Thanh Nhan, along with the forced goalkeeper replacement, have affected the Korean coach's team building plan.
According to the schedule, U23 Vietnam will meet U23 Jordan, U23 Kyrgyzstan and host Saudi Arabia in turn. The coaching staff determined that they need to win at least 4 points in the first 2 rounds if they want to reach the quarter-finals. In which, the match with U23 Jordan is pivotal for this goal.
In the most recent training session, coach Kim Sang-sik arranged the optimal squad. Most of them are "main actors" who have won gold medals at SEA Games 33.
The defense is a special area of concern, because according to Mr. Kim, against a continental-level opponent, building a defense will certainly greatly determine the ability of U23 Vietnam to go deep.
It is very likely that U23 Vietnam will use a 5-4-1 formation. In goal, goalkeeper Tran Trung Kien is considered the best choice. For more than 1 year, the goalkeeper born in 2003 has been present in national teams, playing well in the U23 Southeast Asian Championship 2025 and SEA Games 33.
Ahead of Trung Kien is the familiar central defender trio Pham Ly Duc, Nguyen Hieu Minh and Nguyen Nhat Minh. Two of these three players are over 1m80 tall, helping U23 Vietnam to be more confident when competing for high balls with West Asian opponents. Hieu Minh and Ly Duc are also ready to participate in attack when their team takes a corner kick.
In the full-back position, Phi Hoang (left wing) and Minh Phuc (right wing) are required to play lower than when competing at SEA Games. Coach Kim Sang-sik wants to emphasize safety for the defense against a Jordan who is quick and switches to a flexible state.
Also according to research, these two players were encouraged to push high when the match entered the final 15 minutes of the half, in order to find a turning point for the home team's attacking front.
In the central area, Mr. Kim is arranging Xuan Bac to pair with Thai Son. This duo played well in the 2nd half of the SEA Games 33 final. They are all mobile, energetic midfielders, actively moving and pressing. Covering each other when participating in remote defense support has also been carefully marked by professional assistants.
A limitation that the U23 Vietnam midfield can hardly overcome is the ability to withstand high balls. With a height of less than 1m80, Xuan Bac and Thai Son will struggle in aerial duels with opponents. Therefore, Mr. Kim had to assign Hieu Minh to regularly step up to support this task.
Finally, the position in the attack. Two strikers Viktor Le and Khuat Van Khang are encouraged by Mr. Kim Sang-sik to play low, close to the 2 central midfielders Thai Son, Xuan Bac.
In addition to supporting high-level pressure, according to observations in recent training sessions, Van Khang and Viktor Le also organized attacks starting from the opponent's half.
The ball will be directed towards Dinh Bac, the "virtual number 9" who has the task of harassing thanks to his dribbling, controlling and passing ability, before creating notable shots into Jordan's goal.
Expected lineup of U23 Vietnam: Goalkeeper Trung Kien, Hieu Minh, Nhat Minh, Ly Duc, Phi Hoang, Minh Phuc, Thai Son, Xuan Bac, Viktor Le, Van Khang, Dinh Bac.
