The class of 'magician' Park Hang-seo

Two South Korean coaches, who led their teams to rapid development, both trained and competed against South Korean teams before the 31st SEA Games. Sharing the same goal of winning the prestigious gold medal in men's football, the Vietnam U23 and Indonesia U23 teams kicked off their race for first place in Group A at the packed Viet Tri stadium, with hundreds of millions of fans watching live on television across the region.

The Indonesian team, led by coach Shin Tae-yong, fielded their strongest lineup, despite the absence of defender Asnawi due to his club refusing to release him. Meanwhile, the host nation, Vietnam U23, fielded what was considered their best and most energetic lineup, largely as predicted by experts and fans. Notably, the left-sided center-back was played by young player Tuan Tai, not Manh Dung as expected. Tien Linh's partner was young striker Van Tung. All the key players of Vietnam U23 were included in the starting lineup to face the rising and formidable Indonesian team.

Coach Park Hang-seo (center) is thrilled after Hung Dung increased Vietnam's lead to 2-0 at Viet Tri Stadium on the evening of May 6th. Photo: Duc Dong

The Indonesian U23 team remained faithful to their slow, steady style of play at home, waiting for opportunities to launch counter-attacks. The midfield hotspots were marked by rough tackles or fouls, particularly between pairs of players closely marking each other: Klok-Hung Dung, Irianto-Hoang Duc, resulting in yellow cards for players from both teams. Vietnam U23 nearly scored in the 20th minute with Hoang Anh's run down the touchline, a pass to Van Tung, but unfortunately, the ball deflected off an opposing defender, wasting the chance. Subsequent shots from Hoang Duc, Tien Linh, and Hoang Anh did not truly trouble the opposing defense.

In the second half, both teams made substitutions, but Park Hang-seo proved far more skillful than his compatriot on the other side. He replaced Van Tung with Manh Dung, moved Van Xuan to the right and Van Do to the left, immediately transforming the U23 Vietnam team into a smoothly functioning, efficient, and dynamic unit, capable of finishing off their opponents with diverse and visually appealing attacks.

The U23 players did not disappoint Vietnamese fans. Photo: PV

In the 54th minute, Van Do surged forward to receive the ball from the left wing, pushed it inward with one touch, and then passed it through to Manh Dung, who then passed it to Tien Linh, who quickly tapped it in to open the scoring. More than 20 minutes later, Tien Linh played a one-two in the center of the field to Hung Dung, who sprinted down like a whirlwind and scored a superb goal to make it 2-0. While Hoang Anh, Thanh Minh, and Van Xuan were unlucky with their chances, Van Do was rewarded with a fortunate long-range shot at the end of the match, extending the home team's lead to a resounding 3-0.

Hung Dung celebrates his goal. Photo: PV

On the Indonesian U23 side, coach Shin Tae-yong was unable to maintain the stamina to relentlessly press and play aggressively against Vietnam U23. Despite going all-out by fielding almost all their attacking players, they couldn't stop Vietnam U23's momentum and creativity, ultimately losing the game without a single dangerous shot on goal against goalkeeper Van Toan.

Coach Park Hang-seo also gave Công Đến, Hai Long, Thanh Minh, and others a chance when things looked brighter, especially in the second half. Overall, both the starting lineup and the substitutes performed excellently. But the biggest star of the Vietnam U23 team, and of the victory against their rival Indonesia U23, was Coach Park Hang-seo, who knew how to neutralize the opponent's playing style and strength, adapting his squad in a timely manner to create surprises and breakthroughs that caught the opponent off guard.

The resounding 3-0 victory against their biggest rival in the group stage provided a favorable start for the Vietnam U23 team as they advanced further in their quest to defend their SEA Games gold medal. The coach's selection of three players over 23 years old for the Vietnam U23 team demonstrates foresight, a significant effort to compensate for shortcomings, encourage, and support the entire team, creating a formidable force against any opponent.

The fact that Tuan Tai, a young and newly matured player, played the entire match; that Van Do scored and provided a brilliant pass that led to the opening goal; that Thanh Minh's header hit the post; that Van Xuan's dribble and shot hit the crossbar; and that Hoang Anh's two close runs into the opponent's goal all demonstrate that the coach's choice of players was absolutely correct and full of confidence in the young, fresh talents of Vietnamese football.