Anh Đức

The 2025 ASEAN U23 Championship starts tomorrow in Indonesia, at a time when the future of Vietnamese football is put to the test following intriguing developments in ASEAN football.

National team coach Kim Sang-sik was given the responsibility of coaching the U23s in this tournament, a surprising move by the VFF, but also proof of how the Federation perceives the importance of this tournament.

First-team regulars like Khuất Văn Khang, Nguyễn Văn Trường and Nguyễn Thái Sơn were also called up. It looks as if VFF sees the tournament, which they have won twice consecutively, as a way to reclaim the public's hope in Vietnamese football after a 0-4 loss against Malaysia by the senior team.

Looking at the opponent's squads, there seem to be no immediate threats, as most teams fielded local players without many heritage or naturalised players. In my opinion, Việt Nam can defend their title and win the cup for the third time, but only if they overcome their biggest adversary: themselves.

The rare situation that puts Kim at the helm of the Under-23 team seems to bring more positives than negatives. Kim can install the same tactics he uses at the senior squad, and use the tournament as a fast track for youngsters to the national team. This then creates a seamless tactical framework for Việt Nam's national football team, which would benefit the team in the long run.

However, there are two traffic backups that Kim has to avoid. The first one is time itself. The squad was assembled for just two weeks in a training camp before flying to Jakarta for the tournament. Two weeks is perhaps not enough time for the fluency needed in learning complicated tactics or set plays for Việt Nam, compared to regional rivals' preparations for the tournament. Things will get dicey if there is a personnel problem, and that is when Kim and his colleagues have to bust their brains out to ensure results.

Which then leads us to the second obstacle: an unbalanced squad depth, where the midfield and attack is packed with V.League regulars, while defence players are mostly unfamiliar names. Phạm Lý Đức is the only player recently called up to the national squad in the match against Malaysia. If you remember that match, Việt Nam started to lose control when key defenders Nguyễn Thành Chung and Bùi Tiến Dũng were injured and had to be subbed off, which led to the calamitous defence performance in the second half. The lack of experience between starters and substitutes in defence must be bridged, should Việt Nam want to progress further in the tournament.

But after the traffic jams comes the biggest hurdle: expectations. After the defeat against Malaysia, even Kim seemed to put pressure upon himself to make things right again. With hopes not too high for the 2027 Asian Cup qualification campaign, the focus for the Korean coach now switches to the Under-23s. This upcoming tournament and the SEA Games in Thailand later this year have become must-win competitions.

There are two things Kim should remember: first of all, not all nations put a specific focus on youth competitions. Singapore, a member of the AFF, pulled out of the tournament early on. Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia selected mostly unknown local youth players.

Also, in the last two editions, Việt Nam — despite not having the age group's best players — still managed to win both times. If coaches Đinh Thế Nam and Hoàng Anh Tuấn could pull it off, so can Kim.

Kick‑off is tomorrow. Whatever happens over the next fortnight, one thing is certain: the U23s now hold the match that can spark belief. All they have to do is strike it. VNS