Before the semi-final match against U23 China, U23 Vietnam faced the biggest challenge since the beginning of the tournament. The opponent possesses a tight, disciplined and physically strong defense, promising to make the match tense and tight.
In the opposite direction, U23 Vietnam entered the match with confidence built from disciplined play, team spirit and organized pressing ability. Coach Kim Sang-sik's team did not hesitate to play close-range, putting continuous pressure to force the opponent to make mistakes, and at the same time taking advantage of speed and ability to switch to a fast state to look for scoring opportunities.
If they maintain a reasonable team distance, maintain concentration and make good use of decisive moments, U23 Vietnam has every basis to break the "wall" of defense of U23 China, thereby nurturing hopes of winning a ticket to the U23 Asian Championship final.
U23 Vietnam is likely to play with a 3-4-3 formation or a 3-5-2 variant, based on what has been shown since the beginning of the tournament.
In the wooden frame is Tran Trung Kien; in front is the central defender trio Ly Duc - Hieu Minh - Nhat Minh taking on the role of covering, maintaining a tight formation distance. The midfield combines disputes - regulation with the factors Minh Phuc, Thai Son, Xuan Bac and Khuat Van Khang, creating a foundation for control and state change. In the attack, the names Ngoc My - Le Phat - Cong Phuong bring mobility, moving wide to find goals.
In terms of tactics, U23 Vietnam prioritizes proactive pressing, quickly switching positions and exploiting speed and personal technique to break the opponent's defense. The team does not push too high but controls the ball rhythmically, coordinates small in midfield and is ready to launch sharp counter-attacks when the opponent is negligent.
U23 Vietnam showed perseverance and high determination in each match. The quarter-final victory over UAE after extra time is proof of the ability to maintain intensity and a solid mentality until the last minute.
Although not creating too many opportunities, the red shirt team still scored regularly through the matches, showing good ability to take advantage of opportunities.
The positive head-to-head record with U23 China in the past (2 wins, 2 draws, 1 loss) helps the whole team feel more confident before the start.
U23 China possesses a disciplined defense system, leaning towards counter-attacking defense with a 5-3-2 formation, and has not conceded a goal before the semi-finals. This could cause the match to be "frozen" if U23 Vietnam does not find a reasonable approach.
Some key players have played with high intensity since the beginning of the tournament; rotating personnel while still maintaining the pressing tempo is a big challenge for the coaching staff.
U23 Vietnam entered the semi-finals with a balanced squad, clear playing style and high fighting spirit. The team can proactively control the game, attack from the two wings and exploit counter-attacks. However, to overcome U23 China, coach Kim Sang-sik's team needs to break the low defense, take good advantage of opportunities within 30 meters in front of the goal and distribute fitness reasonably throughout 90 minutes to aim for a ticket to the U23 Asian Championship final.
