U23 Vietnam lost 0-3 to U23 China in the semi-finals, and also revealed many problems of U23 Vietnam, from the approach to the match to the ability to improvise on the field.
The consequences after this defeat are not only in spirit. The team is suffering great losses when center-back Hieu Minh is seriously injured and leaves the tournament. Ly Duc is suspended for a red card, while Dinh Bac has not reached his best physical condition. Many other key players are also in a state of overload after a long series of tournaments from SEA Games to the AFC U23 Championship.
In the opposite direction, U23 Korea stopped in the semi-finals with regret. Against U23 Japan, the kimchi team played hard, creating many dangerous situations but lacked sharpness in finishing. The 0-1 defeat caused them to miss the final match, but also motivated all their strength for the final confrontation to win a consolation bronze medal.
U23 Korea entered the third-place match with almost full force. The stability of personnel helps them be rated higher, especially when looking at the history of confrontations.
In 4 official tournaments, U23 Vietnam has never won, even lost 3 matches. This statistic brings a significant psychological advantage to the Korean youth team.
However, the 3rd place match is not settled. In the context of being underestimated, U23 Vietnam has even more reason to play with the spirit of having nothing left to lose.
If they start the game focused and take good advantage of the moments, coach Kim Sang-sik and his team can create a surprise against the opponent.
The match between U23 Vietnam and U23 Korea to compete for 3rd place in the 2026 AFC U23 Championship takes place at 10:00 PM on January 23.
