The journey to win the 2022 and 2023 U23 Southeast Asian Championship
In 2022, coach Dinh The Nam and 27 young players brought with them the aspiration to conquer the U23 Southeast Asian tournament in Cambodia. What they face is not only a challenge on the pitch, but also a fierce battle with COVID-19. Right before the opening match, 4 players tested positive, causing a shortage of squads. However, U23 Vietnam still had a smooth start with a 7-0 victory over U23 Singapore.
It seemed that the difficulties were temporarily put to an end, but a series of key players such as Y Eli Nie, Quang Nho, Xuan Quyet, Tien Long... continued to suffer from COVID-19, leaving the squad with only 10 players, including 1 injured. Facing time pressure, VFF still promptly sent a group of supporting players from Vietnam to Cambodia.
Although the team was not yet used to the field or weather, U23 Vietnam defeated U23 Thailand 1-0 in the group stage. In the semi-finals against U23 Timor Leste, U23 Vietnam only had 13 players left, even goalkeeper Liem Dieu had to play as a striker because there were not enough replacements. Against an opponent with full strength and fitness, Mr. Dinh The Nam's students played resiliently after 120 minutes (a 0-0 draw) to take the match into the penalty shootout. Goalkeeper Tuan Hung shined with a decisive save to help the home team enter the final.
In the final match against U23 Thailand again, with the spirit of not giving up, U23 Vietnam won 1-0 thanks to the only goal of Tran Bao Toan, thereby winning the U23 Southeast Asian championship for the first time.
Entering 2023, U23 Vietnam under the leadership of coach Hoang Anh Tuan continues to bring the image of a team eager to conquer. Overcoming U23 Laos and U23 Philippines in the group stage, then defeating U23 Malaysia in the semi-finals, U23 Vietnam faced U23 Indonesia in the championship match.
The two teams played a tug-of-war for 120 minutes without any goals. In the decisive penalty shootout, once again the Vietnamese goalkeeper - this time Quan Van Chuan has become a hero. He blocked the decisive kick, helping U23 Vietnam win the championship for the second consecutive time, creating a streak of 8 unbeaten matches in the regional arena.
Continue to expect
U23 Southeast Asia 2025 is the first tournament that coach Kim Sang-sik will lead U23 Vietnam.This generation of players does not have many outstanding stars, but they have a unified professional skills and high competitive spirit.
In the group stage, U23 Vietnam won all two matches against U23 Laos (3-0) and U23 Cambodia (2-1).In the semi-final against U23 Philippines, despite being behind, Mr. Kim Sang-sik's students still kept calm to deploy the game.Striker Dinh Bac equalized in the 41st minute before Xuan Bac sealed a 2-1 victory, helping Vietnam participate in the final for the third consecutive time.
The final match of U23 Vietnam will be a fateful confrontation with U23 Indonesia - the team that just defeated U23 Thailand after a penalty shootout. Playing at home with the support of tens of thousands of fans, the team from the archipelago is certainly the biggest challenge for U23 Vietnam since the beginning of the tournament. However, with what has been shown, tactical flexibility and courage at the important moment, U23 Vietnam is bringing a lot of hope to fans.
One point that U23 Vietnam needs to improve is the ability to take advantage of opportunities. This will be a decisive factor if the match with U23 Indonesia enters the decisive moment.
Coach Kim Sang-sik frankly admitted that U23 Indonesia is a strong team, especially when led by Mr. Donald Vanenburg - who has a modern and technical football philosophy. Mr. Kim also emphasized: "Meeting any opponent is difficult. The important thing is that the whole team is confident and well prepared. If we do that well, we can beat anyone.
The upcoming victory over U23 Indonesia is not only an achievement, but also a testament to the progress of Vietnamese football in the journey to reach the regional level.
