Confidence in strong opponents
In the group stage of the 2026 AFC U23 Championship, U23 Vietnam was considered a weak opponent. However, coach Kim Sang-sik's team defeated all 3 strong opponents, including the host U23 Saudi Arabia to win the top spot with 9 absolute points.
U23 Vietnam players played very confidently through each match, even when being pressed by opponents, Van Khang and his teammates knew how to escape quite well with close-range passing situations. In many situations in the 3 group stage matches, U23 Vietnam confidently passed right in their own half.
In the match against U23 Kyrgyzstan, when the opponent actively played pressure to find an equalizer, U23 Vietnam also confidently coordinated right near the home team's penalty area with close-range passes.
It is the harmony and good technical foundation, plus the comfortable mentality that helps U23 Vietnam make opponents only know how to chase the ball with beautiful passes.
The U23 Vietnam attack is always ready for one-on-one dribbling with opposing defenders. Dinh Bac, Le Phat, and even Thanh Nhan, with only a few minutes on the field, are also full of excitement with technical over-the-counter situations.
One of them was Dinh Bac's fast dribbling and a shot from a narrow angle that brought a 1-0 victory for U23 Vietnam against U23 Saudi Arabia recently.
Certain caution
U23 Vietnam playing confidently in the continental arena is a good and welcome sign. However, to some extent, excessive confidence will have the opposite effect if it loses control.
In the match against U23 Saudi Arabia, with a comfortable mentality as they had almost won a ticket to the next round, U23 Vietnam dared to play controlled against a home team that put in all their effort to find a goal.
However, there were also many situations where we lost the ball with wrong passes, creating conditions for the opponent to organize attacks right near the penalty area. Fortunately, the excellence of goalkeeper Trung Kien helped U23 Vietnam preserve the net.
It is also necessary to recall that the only goal conceded by U23 Vietnam up to this point also stemmed from a similar situation. In a leading position against U23 Kyrgyzstan, U23 Vietnam played confidently by controlling the ball right in their own half even though the opponent actively pushed up the squad to find an equalizer.
But with just one wrong pass from Hieu Minh, the opponent immediately took advantage of it with a long-range shot that hit goalkeeper Trung Kien's net, bringing an equalizer 1-1 for U23 Kyrgyzstan. Luckily for U23 Vietnam, at the end of the match, the U23 Kyrgyzstan defense had an own goal situation, thereby helping coach Kim Sang-sik's team win 3 points in this match.
U23 Vietnam has closed the group stage with a result that could not be more satisfactory. However, with the nature of an elimination match in the quarter-finals, there will be no room for such mistakes.
Confidence is what Mr. Kim Sang-sik's students need to maintain and develop even better. However, good control is needed to avoid errors, otherwise it will be difficult to have the opportunity to correct mistakes.
It's a bit of a bit of a bit of a bit of a bit of a bit.
