Coach Kim Sang Sik: 'U23 Vietnam aims to continue their miracle in the quarterfinals'

Speaking at the post-match press conference, Coach Kim Sang Sik admitted that this was a truly tough challenge for U23 Vietnam.

"First of all, I want to say this was a very difficult match. I sincerely thank the players for their utmost effort to secure the win. I also deeply appreciate the fans who came to support us at the stadium, as well as those following and cheering for the team from home via television," he said.

According to the Korean coach, defeating the host U23 Saudi Arabia on their home ground was a victory with special significance. "Before arriving in Saudi Arabia, I did not expect the players to show such a tremendous spirit of sacrifice for the team. They fought with great determination throughout the 90 minutes to earn a full 9 points in the group stage," emphasized Coach Kim Sang Sik.

Regarding the match's progression, he noted that both teams faced physical and personnel difficulties compared to the previous two games. "Both U23 Vietnam and U23 Saudi Arabia were more exhausted and had several injuries, so the match lacked many impressive attacking plays. However, we prepared different strategies for the first and second halves, and the players executed the plan well.

In this match, our fitness was not at its best after the previous two games. Some players were also injured. Therefore, I had to make some tactical adjustments, especially in the attack. We attacked less, but the preparation for this match was still very solid, so the result was good," he analyzed.

Looking ahead to the quarterfinals, Coach Kim Sang Sik said U23 Vietnam will watch the matches in Group B to identify their next opponent. "If the players continue to stay united and maintain their current spirit, I believe that no matter who we face, U23 Vietnam will perform well in the quarterfinals," he expressed confidently.

Concluding the press conference, Coach Kim Sang Sik once again extended his gratitude to the fans. "Thanks to the love and enthusiastic support from the supporters, the players have been able to perform at their best and achieve the current results. We will continue to prepare thoroughly to keep creating miracles in the quarterfinals," he affirmed.

Meanwhile, striker Đình Bắc, who scored the beautiful goal against U23 Saudi Arabia, shared: "The goal I scored was thanks to the good preparation from the coaching staff and also the effort of the whole team. Today's 3 points belong to the entire team.

Before the match, Coach Kim Sang Sik told me to give my all. In this game, U23 Vietnam did not push too high because many players were fatigued and injured, so the coach asked me to actively defend and when counterattacking, to move out wide on both flanks."