The 0-3 defeat to U23 China in the semi-finals forced U23 Vietnam to enter the third-place match with a lot of pressure both in terms of expertise and force.
Coach Kim Sang-sik's team suffered serious personnel losses when center-back Nguyen Hieu Minh suffered a serious injury, while Pham Ly Duc received a red card and was suspended. In attack, Dinh Bac has also not reached the best physical condition.
Notably, many key players showed signs of overload after a continuous period of competition, lasting from SEA Games to the 2026 AFC U23 Championship finals. This caused the coaching staff to face many difficulties in arranging the squad for the match against U23 Korea.
On the opposite side, U23 Korea entered the third-place match in a different mood. This team lost to U23 Japan 0-1 in the semi-finals in a match where they controlled the game stably and created many opportunities, but lacked accuracy in finishing.
Stopping before the final threshold brings regret, but it is also a motivation for U23 Korea to aim for the final match with the goal of winning a bronze medal.
Head-to-head history is leaning towards U23 Korea, when U23 Vietnam has never won in 4 encounters in official tournaments, including 3 defeats.
However, the third-place match still has many unpredictable factors. If they maintain focus, organize the squad well and effectively utilize key situations, U23 Vietnam still has the opportunity to create positive results against U23 Korea.
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