In the early morning of January 21, U23 Vietnam lost to U23 China with a score of 0-3 in the semi-final of the 2026 AFC U23 Championship. This result caused coach Kim Sang-sik and his team to miss the final match, and at the same time suffered a major loss in force when center-back Hieu Minh suffered a serious injury and was forced to leave the field in the first half.
After the match, many media channels in Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia expressed sympathy for the defeat of U23 Vietnam. In addition, Hieu Minh's injury is considered a turning point that greatly affected the game.
Some comments said that the loss of key central defenders has disrupted the defense system of U23 Vietnam. After this time, the red shirt team has difficulty resisting set pieces - which were considered strengths before.
This view received the consensus of many fans and experts in the region. Many opinions assessed that the moment Hieu Minh left the field was a great spiritual shock, causing U23 Vietnam to be clearly disadvantaged in the remainder of the match.
Many comments from Indonesia expressed concern about the seriousness of the injury, and also said that the absence of Hieu Minh directly affected the ability to organize the playing style of U23 Vietnam. However, these opinions still emphasized that it is undeniable that the efforts and journey are noteworthy of coach Kim Sang-sik and his team at this year's tournament.
Some comparisons were also made with the journey of U23 Indonesia at the 2024 AFC U23 Championship, when this team once stopped in the semi-finals in a similar context.
Overall, Southeast Asian media still gave many compliments to U23 Vietnam at the 2026 AFC U23 Championship. The first time reaching the semi-finals is considered an achievement beyond expectations, showing clear progress of Vietnamese youth football in the continental arena, even though the tournament still has a third-place play-off ahead.
