Testing for U23 Vietnam
Compared to U23 Indonesia, U23 Vietnam advanced to the final in a much easier journey. In the group stage, coach Kim Sang-sik and his team had no difficulty defeating U23 Laos, U23 Cambodia or even U23 Philippines. Even the match against U23 Cambodia brought many challenges.
At that time, U23 Vietnam played very deadlocked and had to rely on high balls to score and pass the group stage. In the semi-finals, U23 Philippines opened the score of the match but this was not the result that accurately reflected the game. U23 Vietnam dominated the game and continuously pressed the opponent's field.
The collapse of U23 Philippines is just a matter of time. Dinh Bac quickly leveled the score in the first 45 minutes before Xuan Bac sealed a 2-1 victory for the "Golden Star Warriors". But it is also necessary to recognize that this match witnessed disastrous shots by the strikers.
Le Van Thuan's close-range tap-in, a few shots from Anh Quan, Dinh Bac or Viktor Le shook the fans' heads. Players can easily cushion the ball out even though the goal is only 5-10 m away. In such a situation, meeting a tough opponent in the final also poses a problem for Mr. Kim Sang-sik.
Psychological pressure
As mentioned, U23 Vietnam must reach the final to face the first difficult opponent. In addition, having to play at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium with 4 packed stands makes the young men worried.
At the pre-match press conference, coach Kim Sang-sik skillfully reminded his players to keep the most steady and comfortable spirit. In terms of level, U23 Indonesia is unlikely to be better than U23 Vietnam. The question is whether the players' spirit is strong enough to make a difference?
On the other hand, U23 Indonesia played a bad tournament, but not too bad. At many times, the team from the archipelago still brings hope. However, most of the Indonesian players lacked alertness in the decisive phases.
In return, U23 Indonesia has many players who have been called up to the national team such as Ardiansyah, Kadek Arel, Donny Tri Pamungkas or Robi Darwis, Hokky Carakka. This group of players is not necessarily better than Dinh Bac, Van Truong, Van Khang, but they are capable of creating a big enough counter-attack in the final match.
Expected lineup:
U23 Indonesia: M Ardiansyah; Achmad Maulana Syarif, Kadek Arel, Kakang Rudianto, Frengky Missa; Dony Pamungkaskas, dominikus Dion, Robi Darwis; Rayhan Hannan, Jens Raven, Rahmat Arjuna.
U23 Vietnam: Trung Kien; Ly Duc, Hieu Minh, Nhat Minh, Anh Quan, Cong Phuong, Xuan Bac, Phi Hoang, Van Khang, Van Truong, Dinh Bac.
