Stand up and move on.
The 0-3 defeat to U23 China in the semi-finals of the 2026 AFC U23 Championship not only made U23 Vietnam miss the opportunity to recreate the feat of reaching the final like 8 years ago, but also affected the morale of coach Kim Sang-sik and his team. The long-term suspension of central defender Hieu Minh for severing the anterior cruciate ligament, plus Ly Duc being suspended due to a direct red card also greatly affected the force of U23 Vietnam.
Remember, throughout 14 out of 16 previous matches, the defense of the "Golden Star Warriors" has always witnessed the presence of this duo. Along with Nhat Minh and goalkeeper Trung Kien, Ly Duc and Hieu Minh have combined to form a solid and stable defense, making a great contribution to the 15-game winning streak for the home team.
Faced with losses in both results, force and spirit, leaders and coaching staff of U23 Vietnam had an exchange with players right on the training ground, 1 day after the defeat to U23 China. Everyone simultaneously shouted slogans of determination, hoping to regain the excitement to overcome this difficult time.
Coach Kim Sang-sik himself proactively allowed the players and assistants to participate in a challenge to bring a cheerful atmosphere to the U23 Vietnam team. Up to now, the team's spirit has improved, everyone is striving towards a fair match, achieving the highest possible result against U23 Korea.
This is also a way for U23 Vietnam to regain joy and trust from fans after the unexpected match against U23 China.
Hope to exceed the threshold
U23 Korea and coach Lee Min Sung himself were also affected mentally after failing to reach the final of the 2026 AFC U23 Championship due to a 0-1 defeat to U23 Japan. Korean fans expressed dissatisfaction with the team's unconvincing journey.
Although bringing to Saudi Arabia a force with a high average age, gathering many names in the 22-year-old group, U23 South Korea did not show their old face at the tournament. Notably, they almost were eliminated from the group stage when they lost to U23 Uzbekistan in the final match. If in the match at the same time, U23 Iran had not unexpectedly lost to U23 Lebanon, U23 South Korea probably would have had to pack their bags and go home early.
The best match of U23 Korea in this year's tournament was the victory over U23 Australia in the quarter-finals. However, this team's limited attacking ability was once again revealed in the 0-1 defeat to U23 Japan. Despite having many opportunities, U23 Korea could not convert them into goals.
According to AFC statistics, up to this point, U23 Korea has even scored fewer goals than U23 Vietnam (6 compared to 8 goals), shots are lower (48 compared to 49 times) and the number of shots on target is more modest (15 compared to 22 times). In defense, U23 Korea has fewer clean sheets (1 compared to 2 matches) and is also not in the top of the teams with the highest number of clearances.
Of course, when facing directly, U23 Korea is still rated higher than U23 Vietnam. This is shown in 2 times they faced each other at a friendly tournament in China in 2025. At that time, U23 Korea drew 1 and won 1. However, the score difference that this team created against U23 Vietnam only stopped at 1 goal.
Returning to U23 Vietnam, based on the recent 2 training sessions, coach Kim Sang-sik is expected to create opportunities for some reserve players to play. In addition to Le Van Ha and Nguyen Duc Anh who can replace the positions of Ly Duc and Hieu Minh in the defense, the Korean strategist is expected to use Quoc Cuong, Phi Hoang, Anh Quan, Quoc Viet in the starting lineup.
With the mindset of entering the final match before closing the journey of the 2026 AFC U23 Championship, the above faces promise to bring a new source of energy to U23 Vietnam, based on the enthusiasm and desire to prove themselves in the U23 Vietnam jersey.
The match between U23 Vietnam and U23 Korea to compete for 3rd place in the 2026 AFC U23 Championship takes place at 10:00 PM on January 23.
