SEA Games 33: Coach Kim Sang Sik points out the weaknesses of U22 Vietnam in their opening match

Speaking at the post-match press conference, the Korean coach admitted that the team’s initial mindset was not very stable: "The opening match always brings a certain level of anxiety. Fortunately, the whole team maintained control and achieved the 3-point goal. Now it’s time for the players to recover and prepare for the match against Malaysia."

According to Coach Kim Sang Sik, the goal conceded in the first half significantly affected U22 Vietnam’s morale. He explained: "I was quite disappointed with the goal. It caused the players’ mindset to waver and partly lose focus. I had to remind them to stay calm going into the second half."

He noted that U22 Laos showed clear improvement in their style of play, partly because the two teams have met frequently recently and understand each other’s tactics well. This made the defensive tasks for U22 Vietnam more challenging.

The decisive goal by Dinh Bac in the 60th minute was initially flagged for offside by the linesman. Coach Kim Sang Sik said he strongly protested and received a yellow card in that situation because he believed the referee needed to reconsider: "I haven’t reviewed the replay yet, but at that moment I was sure there was no offside. I appealed and the referee changed the decision. I accept receiving the yellow card."

Despite some dissatisfaction, Coach Kim Sang Sik acknowledged the fighting spirit of U22 Vietnam: "This result reflects the team’s overall effort. I regret that we only scored two goals even though more chances were created. Dinh Bac played excellently. Quoc Viet, Thanh Nhan, and some other players still need to improve." He said the team will thoroughly analyze the shortcomings, especially defensive organization and concentration when under pressure.

On the other side, Coach Ha Hyeok Jun affirmed that U22 Laos gave their best effort and expressed dissatisfaction with the referee’s decision change: "The linesman initially raised the offside flag because he thought a Vietnamese player blocked the goalkeeper’s view. Then the decision was reversed, so we need to review that play." He commented that U22 Vietnam maintained their usual strength, while U22 Laos is improving and will continue to develop.

With the first 3 points, U22 Vietnam temporarily leads Group B and moves into preparation for the match against Malaysia on December 11 — a game expected to be crucial in the race for a semifinal spot.