U23 Vietnam entered the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 tournament as the leading candidate for the championship. After 2 consecutive crowns in 2022 and 2023, the goal of coach Kim Sang-sik and his team is to defend the throne and prepare for the larger arenas, including the U23 Asian qualifiers and the 33rd SEA Games.
Coach Kim Sang-sik and his team have had a thorough preparation process. A month of training in Ba Ria and 2 friendly matches with U23 Taiwan (China) showed stability in physical strength and playing style. The positive results help the coaching staff evaluate the quality of personnel as well as the players' ability to adapt to the new coaching philosophy.
The U23 Vietnam squad has many faces that have fought at the national team level such as Van Khang, Thai Son, Van Truong, Dinh Bac or Trung Kien. They are not only the core of the present but also the future pillar for important campaigns such as the 2030 World Cup qualifiers. The young players are maintaining good form in the V.League and the First Division, including prominent names such as Viktor Le, Ly Duc and Nhat Minh.
As for U23 Laos, they had a 1-1 draw with U23 Cambodia in the first round. Despite having a low ball control time, the team from the land of a million elephants showed the ability to organize sharp counter-attacks with a disciplined competitive spirit. However, that was also a match in which Cambodia played without interruption and did not take advantage of the opportunity.
Facing U23 Vietnam is a completely different challenge. The difference in level and experience between the two teams is too obvious. U23 Vietnam not only possesses a quality squad, but also has good depth. The fact that the players have become acquainted with each other through many training sessions helps the playing style operate more smoothly.
Head-to-head statistics support U23 Vietnam when they won all 4 recent matches against U23 Laos with a difference in scores. If they can maintain their concentration and maintain a reasonable intensity of competition, victory is the goal within reach of coach Kim Sang-sik and his team.
Score prediction: U23 Vietnam 3-0 U23 Laos
