*This content was translated by AI.
- 3rd place match at the U-23 Asian Cup at midnight on the 23rdDirector Lee Min-sung said, "Only if you lead, you can win."
Kim Sang-sik, head coach of the Vietnamese U-23 national soccer team, said, "I will pour everything into Korea," ahead of facing Lee Min-sung in the third place match of the 2026 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-23 Asian Cup.
According to AFC on the 22nd, head coach Kim Sang-sik said, "We have to fight until the end" ahead of the third-place match against South Korea at the King Abdullah Sports City Hall Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, at 0 a.m. on the 24th (Korea time).
Vietnam, led by head coach Kim Sang-sik, reached the semifinals of the tournament for the first time in eight years since the 2018 tournament led by head coach Park Hang-seo, but lost to China 0-3 and was pushed to the third place final. The last team to compete for the third place is Korea, the motherland. South Korea failed to advance to the final after losing to Japan.
Coach Kim Sang-sik said, "From the first game to the present, we have continued to face physically strong opponents. Nevertheless, the players showed strong determination and determination, he said. "Through this competition, we have achieved a lot of growth. I am satisfied with the process so far, but there is still a part to develop further," he said.
Manager Lee Min-sung said, "There are many areas that must be improved in terms of scoring," adding, "In the next game, we need to balance the game better to score goals and lead the game by creating more opportunities."
Coach Lee then said, "I want to see our team continue to grow. I also hope that the players will be able to maximize their own potential," he added.
This is the third time that South Korea will play in the third place match of the tournament since the 2013 and 2018 tournaments. However, they lost to Jordan after a penalty shootout in the 2013 tournament, and lost to Qatar in 2018 and all ranked fourth. It is Vietnam's first time to advance to the third place final of the tournament.
South Korea is undefeated with six wins and three draws in the past between the U-23 national teams. South Korea also won 1-0 at the Panda Cup held in China in November last year, the most recent face-off, but has not shown an overwhelming advantage with one win and two draws in three recent face-offs with Vietnam. The final match between Japan and China, which beat South Korea and Vietnam respectively, will be held at midnight on the 25th.
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*This content was translated by AI.
