Vietnam U-23 advances as Group A leader

Home advantage counted for nothing against Kim Sang-sik’s magic. The Vietnam under-23 (U-23) national soccer team, led by the 50-year-old Korean manager, finished atop Group A to advance to the quarterfinals of the 2026 AFC U-23 Asian Cup.

On Jan. 13, Vietnam defeated host Saudi Arabia 1-0 in the final Group A match at Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Sports City Stadium in Jeddah. The team had previously beaten Jordan 2-0 in their opening game and Kyrgyzstan 2-1 in the second, closing the group stage with three victories and nine points. Saudi Arabia finished with three points from one win and two losses, failing to advance.

By finishing first in Group A, Vietnam avoided a quarterfinal matchup with defending champion Japan, which topped Group B. Instead, Group A runner-up Jordan, which collected six points from two wins and one loss, will face Japan in the quarterfinals. Vietnam’s best performance at the U-23 Asian Cup came in 2018, when it finished as runner-up under coach Park Hang-seo, 67.

Vietnam adopted a defend-first, counterattack-later approach against Saudi Arabia, which had been expected to press aggressively with home support. According to football statistics site SofaScore, Vietnam trailed Saudi Arabia in possession, 39 percent to 61 percent, total shots, three to 19, and shots on target, two to seven, underscoring its defense-first approach.

Kim made two substitutions at the start of the second half, a tactical move that paid off within 20 minutes. In the 19th minute, substitute midfielder Nguyen Dinh Phat collected a pass, surged down the left side of the penalty area, beat three defenders and curled a left-footed shot past the Saudi goalkeeper into the net. Saudi Arabia responded with sustained pressure, but Vietnam goalkeeper Tran Trung Kien preserved the shutout with seven saves.

“Our players showed complete dedication to the team and gave everything for 90 minutes to secure nine points,” Kim said. “I am very proud of them. If we continue to fight as one team, we can produce another strong performance in the quarterfinals.”


Bae-Jung Kim wanted@donga.com