Coach Kim Sang Sik emphasizes one key focus for U22 Vietnam before the semifinal

Coach Kim Sang Sik spent the majority of the U22 Vietnam practice on December 13 focusing on tactical aspects.

On the afternoon of December 13, the U22 Vietnam team continued to put on their boots and train, rushing to finalize their last preparations for the SEA Games 33 men's football semifinal match against U22 Philippines.

Because the team’s usual training ground was booked for an event by the managing unit, the organizers arranged a new training location. Although the travel distance was longer, the new training field offered a spacious environment and high-quality turf, providing favorable conditions for the team to maintain their training rhythm.

During this session, Coach Kim Sang-sik devoted most of the time to tactical content, particularly emphasizing coordination between lines, off-the-ball movement, and transitions in both attack and defense. These are considered crucial elements as U22 Vietnam enters the knockout stage, where even the smallest mistake can impact the final result.

U22 Vietnam was forced to change venues for the last two training sessions before the SEA Games 33 men's football semifinal against the Philippines, no longer able to train at RBAC Stadium. This stadium had been familiar to U22 Vietnam since arriving in Bangkok at the group stage.

However, due to RBAC University hosting an event, U22 Vietnam had to switch training locations. Specifically, Coach Kim Sang Sik’s team will train at two different fields for the last two sessions before the semifinal: from 3 to 4 PM on December 13, and at Look E-San Stadium from 4 to 5 PM on December 14.

The semifinal between U22 Vietnam and U22 Philippines is scheduled for 3:30 PM on December 15 at Rajamangala Stadium, while the other semifinal between hosts U22 Thailand and U22 Malaysia will be at 6:00 PM. This also provides some minor advantages for U22 Vietnam.

Thus, Coach Kim Sang Sik’s team will remain in Bangkok without needing to travel from Chiang Mai like U22 Philippines. The opposing team will require time to adapt to the living, dining, and training conditions more than U22 Vietnam. Moreover, U22 Vietnam is already accustomed to playing at Rajamangala Stadium since the group stage.