"Don't eat!" The name that rang out in downtown Hanoi... Miracle of '亞 semifinals' in 8 years, Kim Sang-sik following Park Hang-seo

*This content was translated by AI.

Vietnamese people chanted 'Sik-Sama' on the street.

Vietnam's under-23 (U-23) national soccer team, led by head coach Kim Sang-sik, won 3-2 in the quarterfinals of the '2026 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U23 Asian Cup' against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) at Jeddah Prince Abdulla-Faisal Sports City Stadium in Saudi Arabia on the 17th (Korea time).

Now, Vietnam will compete with the winner of the quarterfinals between Uzbekistan and China on the 21st to advance to the finals.

Vietnam advanced to the semifinals for the first time in eight years since finishing second in the tournament under coach Park Hang-seo in 2018. Coach Kim Sang-sik has won the 2024 Southeast Asian Football Championship (Mitsubishi Cup), the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) U23 Championship, and the Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) in succession since his appointment as the Vietnamese national team in last month.

Following the momentum, he is writing the myth of "Kim Sang-sik Magic" at the U-23 Asian Cup, the first tournament of the year, winning all three group matches without losing a point and winning the quarterfinals.

A fierce slugfest was held on this day. As Vietnam led with Nguyen Leppat's first goal in the 39th minute of the first half, UAE balanced it with Junior Ndiaye's equalizer in the 42nd minute of the first half.

A close game continued in the second half. When Vietnam took the lead in the 17th minute of the second half with Nguyen Dinhavac's goal, UAE scored Mansour Al Menhaliga again in the 23rd minute of the second half.

The game went into extra time, and Vietnam won with Palm Min Phuk's winning goal in the 11th minute of extra time.

Vietnam's Vn Express said, "Kim Sang-sik even devoured the UAE and wrote the myth of the semifinals for the first time in eight years. Now I dream of winning." "Pam Min Phuk scored a dramatic winning goal. It's a perfect ending to a great 120-minute drama."

The media praised, "Vietnam under Kim Sang-sik is different from the past," adding, "A fearless attitude and a lion-like heart are the driving force behind the victory."

He then analyzed, "The persistent concentration maintained until the end of the game and the amount of activity that does not break even in overtime proves that 'common sense magic' is not just luck, but the result of thorough physical management and tactics."

According to Metche, after the game, Vietnamese fans poured into the streets and enjoyed the festival, shouting out Kim Sang-sik. Some people shouted "Don't eat" on the night streets of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

Vietnamese fans also praised Kim Sang-sik on social media (SNS) for becoming a new hero in Vietnam, nicknamed him "Mealma." A Vietnamese netizen said, "The relationship with a Korean director is also fate."

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*This content was translated by AI.