Coach Kim Sang-sik was pleased when U23 Vietnam won the opening match.

On the evening of July 19, U23 Vietnam had a favorable start in Group B of the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 tournament, when they defeated U23 Laos with a score of 3-0. Coach Kim Sang-sik's team won all 3 points thanks to a beautiful opening goal from midfielder Khuat Van Khang and an impressive double from center-back Nguyen Hieu Minh.

Speaking after the match, coach Kim Sang-sik expressed his satisfaction with his players' performance and sent his gratitude to the fans: "I am very happy to have won 3-0 in the first match. I would like to thank the Vietnamese fans who came to the stadium to cheer on the team as well as the fans who watched on TV. U23 Laos defended tightly from the first minutes. After that, we scored thanks to the efforts of the players. The important thing is that we have a balance in defense and attack."

Notably, 2 out of 3 goals of U23 Vietnam came from the center back position. Talking about this, the Korean strategist shared: “I am very happy, whoever scores is fine. Congratulations to Hieu Minh for scoring 2 goals.”

When asked about the strength of the host team U23 Indonesia, coach Kim Sang-sik gave a cautious assessment: “U23 Indonesia is very strong and well organized. However, we have only played one match and need to focus on each match and not think too much.”

Nguyen Hieu Minh, the player who scored two goals in the opening match, also shared briefly but with determination: “Thank you to the fans. I am very happy to score two goals. This is motivation for me to play better in the next matches.”

With a 3-0 victory over U23 Laos, U23 Vietnam temporarily took the advantage in Group B and created favorable psychological momentum before entering the next match against U23 Cambodia on July 22. This will be an opportunity for coach Kim Sang-sik and his team to continue to perfect their playing style and aim for a ticket to the semi-finals of the 2025 U23 Southeast Asia Championship./.