U23 Korea received much criticism for their performance in this year's tournament. They lost 2/5 past matches, including a 0-1 defeat to U23 Japan - the team with the youngest average age in the tournament in the semi-finals.
Famous South Korean football commentators such as Lee Young-pyo and Kim Dae-sik even criticized the team's performance, saying that "this is not like a team aiming for the championship", showing a lack of bravery and competitive mentality.
For U23 Vietnam, reaching the semi-finals is a commendable achievement. Despite losing to U23 China 0-3 in the semi-finals, coach Kim Sang-sik's team left many impressions. If they defeated U23 Korea, U23 Vietnam would close a successful tournament.
Korean media emphasized the importance of the third-place play-off. They shared: "If South Korea U23 loses the third-place play-off to Vietnam U23, it will end the unbeaten streak of nearly 20 years against Vietnam U23 at the U23 level.
This is not just a single defeat, but it could also affect the overall assessment of the tournament in Saudi Arabia, further increasing the criticism for the coaching staff. Therefore, the importance of the third-place match is not small”.
With coach Lee Min-sung, he is facing significant pressure when facing his compatriot Kim Sang-sik. According to the Korean media, if he wins 3rd place with U23 Korea, Mr. Lee Min-sung shows that he has maintained the minimum standard despite a difficult journey, and is also a premise for the team to have a more favorable seed position at the next AFC U23 Championship. Although he did not win a ticket to the final, the time for Lee Min-sung to prove his ability is approaching.
The U23 Korean player himself also praised the third-place match with U23 Vietnam. Defender Shin Min-ha shared: "We still have the third-place match with U23 Vietnam, and there is a big difference between being in 3rd and 4th place.
Because this is the last match, I want to show a good performance to the fans. We will play a match that clearly shows our direction. I want to prepare well and want to finish the tournament with a good result”.
The U23 Vietnam vs U23 Korea match will take place at 10:00 PM on January 23.
