Before the semi-final match against U23 Philippines at the 2025 U23 Southeast Asian tournament, coach Kim Sang-sik shared many important information related to the upcoming strength and opponent situation of U23 Vietnam.
Regarding the injury of center back Pham Ly Duc, Mr. Kim said: "Ly Duc was injured in the warm-up match against Cambodia, having problems with his ankle. The possibility of playing in the semi-finals is still open. We need to monitor more in today's training session".
Despite the absence of important personnel, the Korean strategist still clearly showed his determination towards a positive result: "I am very happy to be in the semi-finals. We have won 2 matches in the group stage thanks to the efforts of the players, the coaching staff and the staff. We will try our best on the field. We will try to prepare well to get a favorable result".
Commenting on the U23 Philippines - the opponent in the semi-final match, coach Kim highly appreciated the team's ability to organize and counterattack: "The strong point of the Philippines is the counter-attacking defense with players number 7 and number 20, which is very dangerous. The defenders of the U.23 Vietnam team need to focus a lot to lock down these players."
He also emphasized the balance in this round: "Malaysia played well but were unlucky. At this time, the 4 teams entering the semi-finals are equally strong".
The match between U23 Vietnam and U23 Philippines will take place at 4:00 p.m. on July 25. This is considered a big challenge for coach Kim Sang-sik and his team, especially in the context of the defense being affected by injuries. However, the coaching staff and the players are showing great determination in the preparation process.
