The effectiveness of U23 Vietnam
The 2026 U23 Asian qualifiers have officially ended, U23 Vietnam won a ticket to the final round as the top team in Group C. Coach Kim Sang-sik and his team won all matches against U23 Singapore (1-0), U23 Bangladesh (2-0) and U23 Yemen (1-0), scoring 4 goals and conceding none.
Compared to 15 teams that reached the final round by direct spot, the U23 Vietnam record is 7th, only behind very strong teams such as: Korea, Japan, Australia, Jordan... This is the 3rd time in a decade that the Vietnamese youth team has kept a clean sheet in all three qualifying matches. This shows that stability is increasingly improved in defense.
According to expert Phan Anh Tu, the solidity of the lower line is thanks to a stable framework with players who are regularly playing in the V.League and the First Division such as Trung Kien, Hieu Minh or Ly Duc. Although there were still some moments of lack of concentration, the central defenders of U23 Vietnam basically did not leave any space for the opponent to take advantage. This is a positive signal for a young team in the transition period.
Meanwhile, the midfield and attack are other notable highlights of U23 Vietnam. Three matches with three different starting teams partly show that coach Kim Sang-sik is trying to experiment, arrange personnel and tactics. Instead of keeping a rigid winning formula, the Korean coach created flexibility and customization for each match so that opponents could have a hard time predicting.
However, it is also necessary to recognize that the recent qualifiers were not the strongest test dosage for U23 Vietnam. Rivers like Singapore, Bangladesh or Yemen did not create significant pressure. Of course, this is unlikely to repeat when Van Khang and his teammates participate in the 2026 U23 Asian Cup finals, which will have the presence of continental "big guys" such as Japan, Korea, Uzbekistan or Saudi Arabia.
A stepping stone for the 33rd SEA Games
Although they have just completed their mission in the U23 Asian qualifiers, coach Kim Sang-sik and his students will not have much time to rest. Ahead of them is the 33rd SEA Games taking place at the end of this year in Thailand, where fans' expectations are always high. One of the issues that U23 Vietnam needs to improve is scoring efficiency. Looking back at the recent qualifiers, despite controlling the game well, the players still showed struggles and inaccuracy in finishing.
The numbers show the difference of U23 Vietnam, for example, the match against U23 Yemen had a ball possession rate of up to 55% but only had 5 shots and only 1 shot on target. Notably, Mr. Kim also used 6 strikers in this match. This statistic also raises questions about the creativity in the attacking play of U23 Vietnam.
Coach Kim Sang-sik himself frankly admitted the problem: "I told the players to stay calm when they were in the penalty area. The team will need to improve their mentality and finishing ability at the 33rd SEA Games in Thailand later this year.
Obviously, Mr. Kim Sang-sik is not satisfied with the current quality of his attack and will prioritize this stage in the next training phase in October and November. Competitive mentality, confidence and courage in decisive situations are key factors when U23 Vietnam enters tournaments with direct qualifiers.
The 33rd SEA Games is also an opportunity for the coaching staff to complete the personnel framework for a longer journey, including the U23 Asian finals next year. Opportunities to compete, improve physical strength and accumulate experience will continue to be given to potential young names.
qualifying for the 2026 U23 Asian Games with a perfect record is an important stepping stone, but the road ahead with the 33rd SEA Games is still full of challenges.
