Coach Kim Sang-sik and the challenge with U23 Vietnam

The 0-4 defeat to Malaysia was like a "cold water" in the ambition of the Vietnamese team to participate in the 2027 Asian Cup finals. At this time, fans need to find the feeling of victory, the feeling of surpassing the peak from domestic football.

Putting aside the failure in June, coach Kim Sang-sik and his students aim for the 2025 U23 Southeast Asian Championship. Basically, football regions that love naturalization such as Malaysia and Indonesia have not been able to create a big boost at the youth level.

Therefore, the opportunities are still intact, even greater for Vietnamese football.

U23 Vietnam carries the mission of bringing Vietnamese football up once again before entering the 33rd SEA Games journey at the end of this year. In general, the Korean coach has the opportunity to make a difference in Indonesia. U23 Laos and U23 Cambodia are not opponents that can cause difficulties for Khuat Van Khang and his teammates in the group stage.

To some extent, Mr. Kim Sang-sik inherited a good squad thanks to the determination in transferring the generation of his predecessor Troussier. In the hands of the Korean coach, there are Nguyen Van Truong, Khuat Van Khang, Nguyen Dinh Bac, Nguyen Thai Son, Tran Trung Kien... with extensive experience and courage in the battle.

Some emerging stars such as Pham Ly Duc, Nguyen Ngoc My, Nhat Minh... also provide good professional options after what they have done in the V.League.

The problem for coach Kim Sang-sik will be to find a winning formula from the available ingredients.

Before the tournament, coach Kim Sang-sik did not focus on the issue of achievements for the players. He shared: "Winning consecutive championships is a proud thing, but we don't want to put too much pressure on the players. Football is a collective sport, I always promote collectiveness and discipline in competition.

I always encourage the players to see this tournament as an opportunity to mature and develop, rather than just aiming for results. The result, in my opinion, will be the natural consequence of that process".

However, everyone understands that performance pressure is part of the series of goals that Mr. Kim needs to overcome. U23 Vietnam is entering the tournament with the mindset of the defending champion and is one of the teams that have won the trophy the most times in the history of the tournament.

Surpassing the usual statistics, U23 Vietnam must win to create a new momentum for the country's football.