After winning the 2024 ASEAN Cup with the national team, the Korean coach has relieved the pressure and has more confidence. However, it must be said that the youth team is a difficult problem for the 48-year-old strategist. Because, recently, Vietnamese youth football has shown signs of losing out to opponents like Thailand and Indonesia.
At the 33rd SEA Games, young players will have to stand on their own two feet, because this is the second consecutive regional sports festival where men's football does not allow teams to add overage players. That is what people are worried about, because of the difference in achievements at recent SEA Games.
Fans still have not forgotten that at the 32nd SEA Games in Cambodia, U22 Vietnam only won the Bronze Medal. Before that, Vietnam had 2 consecutive SEA Games (30 and 31) winning Gold Medals thanks to the U22+2 and U22+3 regulations. At that time, most people saw that the Gold Medals in the hands of coach Park Hang-seo's students were thanks to seniors such as Do Hung Dung, Nguyen Trong Hoang, Nguyen Hoang Duc, Nguyen Tien Linh.
Therefore, experts can imagine the difficulties of Mr. Kim Sang-sik, especially in training the competitive spirit of young players. That is the challenge but also the opportunity. The opportunity when the young players will realize that they have to stand on their own two feet, have to make efforts to develop themselves to compete for a place in the team, and contribute to the country at the most important sporting event of the year.
It is an opportunity when possible, the clubs will also "support" by using young players more in domestic tournaments, maybe because of different conditions but the common point is that if you do not compete, you cannot grow up, only when you stumble will you have the opportunity to stand up and hone your skills.
At this time, some young players have a certain role in the national team and they can hold the "leading" position in the U22 team, being a model for other factors to strive for...
