On the evening of July 17, the U23 Vietnam team continued to return to the training ground to quickly complete the final preparations for the opening match of the 2025 U23 Southeast Asian Championship. This session is very important for the whole team, an opportunity to review and evaluate the overall personnel as well as the tactical tactics will be applied for the match against U23 Laos on July 19.
Head coach Kim Sang-sik directly managed the entire training program of the training session. The Korean coach continuously urged his players to be ready to stop the training session to promptly edit professional details, and at the same time experiment with some alternative options for the position of striker Nguyen Thanh Nhan - who was unfortunately injured and had to leave the tournament.
Sharing with the media before the training session, midfielder Nguyen Phi Hoang - one of the players who was in the U23 Vietnam squad that won the 2023 U23 Southeast Asian Championship, said that every time he focused, he set a goal to win the championship.
Evaluating the preparation conditions of U23 Vietnam when there was no training session to get acquainted with the competition field while the opponents U23 Laos and U23 Cambodia had played before a match, Phi Hoang affirmed: "I think the most important thing is the preparation of the team. If we are united and highly focused, we will not face any significant disadvantages.
Each year the tournament is different, and the opponents are also improving. The whole team must concentrate to the maximum and fight with the highest spirit. In my position, the opportunity is divided among all the players. Those who perform well in training and are trusted by the coaching staff will have the opportunity to compete".
Referring to Thanh Nhan's absence due to injury, Phi Hoang shared that this was a very regrettable thing and sent his best wishes for his senior's early recovery. Le Van Thuan was called up to replace Thanh Nhan, Phi Hoang also affirmed: "Thuan is a potential player and will have the opportunity to integrate well with the whole team".
In addition, evaluating new signing Viktor Le, Phi Hoang said: "Viktor Le has trained with the team three times, is very familiar with the environment here and is an important factor in the team. Everyone integrates well, the whole team will support each other to fight together for the common goal".
According to the plan, U23 Vietnam will have its final training session on July 18 before entering the opening match in Group B against U23 Laos on July 19. Midfielder Le Van Thuan will also be able to participate in this training session, contributing to increasing competitiveness and ensuring depth of force for the team.
