On the evening of July 25, the U23 Vietnam team won 2-1 against U23 Philippines in the semi-final match of the 2025 U23 Southeast Asian Championship. The two goals of Dinh Bac and Xuan Bac helped the "Golden Star Warriors" participate in the final match of the tournament for the third consecutive time.
Speaking after the match, coach Kim Sang-sik expressed his satisfaction: I am very happy to win to enter the final. The players have tried very hard, I want to thank them. All positions played well, expressing exactly what the whole team had prepared for the match.
The Korean strategist also especially emphasized his students' compliance with tactics, although he admitted that the team missed many opportunities: "U23 Vietnam created many dangerous situations but only scored 2 goals. However, I am still very happy with this result. The whole team played confidently and unitedly".
When asked about potential opponents in the final, Mr. Kim Sang-sik was cautious but also confident.
"We have not met U23 Indonesia. I will closely monitor the remaining semi-final to analyze the difference between the team of former coach Shin Tae-yong and the current team led by coach Donald Vanenburg. At the moment, I think Indonesia is a very strong team. Whether it is U23 Indonesia or U23 Thailand, we must be ready," said Mr. Kim.
With the mindset of entering the final, coach Kim Sang-sik emphasized the spirit that the whole team must aim for: "Meeting any opponent will be very difficult. But if they can rest, prepare carefully and maintain the confidence they have today, I believe U23 Vietnam can defeat any opponent to win the championship.
The final match of the U23 Southeast Asian tournament will take place at 20:00 on July 29.
