Tactical mark
Starting the journey at the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 tournament, U23 Vietnam failed to create an explosion in terms of playing style. The matches against U23 Laos and U23 Cambodia both clearly showed difficulties in taking advantage of opportunities, especially in attack. Incorrect and lack of sharp finishing made it impossible for the team to solve the match quickly.
Commentator Hoang Hai commented: In the first two matches of the group stage, the attack line was not really effective, missing many opportunities. But coach Kim Sang-sik made timely changes when adjusting personnel, using some more players such as Cong Phuong, Xuan Bac... This is a big turning point to help the team compete well in the future".
Cong Phuong is a typical example of this adjustment. From the central midfield position at the youth level, he was dragged up to play closer to the goal, clearly demonstrating his strong shooting ability, while improving his awareness of competition and supporting defense. In the semi-finals and finals, Cong Phuong became a key factor, helping U23 Vietnam create dangerous situations and make an important mark in the final victory.
Not only in the midfield position, personnel adjustment is also shown in the reasonable rotation of the defense and midfield, creating a balance between defense and attack. In the semi-final against the Philippines, despite being behind, the players still showed calmness, maintained a strong spirit and scientific playing style, thereby successfully making a comeback. This is a sign showing progress in the team's fighting spirit.
The match against the Philippines was a big turning point, the players played roughly and controlled their emotions. In the final, the team played very alertly, not getting caught up in the hot game of the opponent, showing remarkable maturity and experience, commented commentator Hoang Hai.
New goals after the championship
One of the bright spots in the operation of U23 Vietnam is the flexible and sophisticated tactics applied by coach Kim Sang-sik. He quickly integrated into the Southeast Asian football environment with unique tricks to break the rhythm of the match, creating a psychological advantage for his students.
Regarding this, commentator Hoang Hai shared: Mr. Kim is very skillful in using scarves to signal, or has some methods to proactively slow down the pace of the match. This is a reasonable solution in a noisy stadium environment, helping players receive signals and perform tactical intentions correctly.
Not only that, the quintessence is also shown through the right timing situations or the situation handling skills of players like Dinh Bac on the field appropriately or Van Khang holding the ball skillfully. All of these things show maturity not only technically but also mentally, helping U23 Vietnam maintain the game and win the final match.
However, besides the strengths, U23 Vietnam still has limitations that need to be overcome soon. The ability to take advantage of scoring opportunities is a factor that causes the team to miss many opportunities to quickly solve the match. Vietnam's attack has not had a real spearhead like Tien Linh - who is capable of standing and receiving the holes and finishing accurately in the penalty area.
After the tournament, another important issue that young players need to be aware of is the real competition at the club level. Commentator Hoang Hai emphasized: U23 players need to be aware that the most important thing right now is to compete for positions at the club. The key players of U23 are all regularly in the starting lineup of their home team, helping to maintain their form and develop themselves. The U23 championship is just a stepping stone for them to be more confident, but they need to return to reality, compete for positions for long-term development".
The sustainable development of a player depends not only on the achievements of the youth team but also on their performance at the club, accumulating experience in top-level competition. Only when playing well at the club, can young players contribute and build the U23 Vietnam team of strength and courage towards the two important goals in the upcoming round: the U23 Asian qualifiers and the 33rd SEA Games.
