South Korea U23 loses Kim Ji-soo ahead of their match against Vietnam U23.
Kim Ji-soo has withdrawn from the South Korean U23 team for the 2025 Panda Cup due to a hamstring strain. Coach Lee Min-sung's team recently lost 0-4, 0-2 during their October training camp and will fly from Incheon to Chengdu on the 10th to play Uzbekistan on the 12th.
South Korea's U23 team suffered a major setback just before the 2025 Panda Cup: Kaiserslautern's center-back Kim Ji-soo was unable to join the squad due to a hamstring strain, forcing a substitution. This development came just days after the team announced its 24-player roster and before their scheduled departure to China.
Kim Ji-soo's withdrawal has had consequences for the South Korean U23 defense.
Ngày 7/11, hậu vệ Kim Ji-soo thông báo không thể góp mặt do căng cơ đùi. Trước đó, anh là cái tên đáng chú ý nhất trong danh sách công bố ngày 4/11, bên cạnh Kim Yong-hak (Portimonense) và Kim Myung-jun (Genk ở Bỉ), cùng nhiều cầu thủ K-League. Việc thiếu vắng trung vệ trụ cột buộc ban huấn luyện phải điều chỉnh nhân sự cho Panda Cup 2025.
Khung thời gian then chốt của U23 Hàn Quốc
| Mốc | Nội dung |
|---|---|
| 4/11 | Công bố danh sách 24 cầu thủ dự Panda Cup 2025 tại Trung Quốc, đáng chú ý có Kim Ji-soo (Kaiserslautern), Kim Yong-hak (Portimonense), Kim Myung-jun (Genk) |
| 7/11 | Kim Ji-soo rút khỏi đội vì căng cơ đùi; đội phải thực hiện thay người |
| 10/11 | Tập trung tại sân bay Incheon, bay thẳng đến Thành Đô |
| Ngày 12 | Trận đầu tiên gặp Uzbekistan; thi đấu không khán giả do hai đội cùng bảng tại vòng bảng Asian Cup vào tháng 1 năm sau |
Professional context: pressure following the October training camp.
During their training camp in Saudi Arabia in October, the South Korean U23 team suffered two consecutive defeats against the host nation, Saudi Arabia's U23 team, with scores of 0-4 and 0-2. This result created considerable pressure on coach Lee Min-sung ahead of the 2025 Panda Cup.
| Competitor | Score | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Saudi Arabia U23 | 0-4 | October training trip |
| Saudi Arabia U23 | 0-2 | October training trip |
Opponents and the landscape of the Panda Cup 2025
The opening match against Uzbekistan took place behind closed doors as the two teams will meet in the Asian Cup group stage next January. Compared to South Korea's U23 team, both Uzbekistan's and China's U23 teams did not field their best players of the same age group; their squads included many players born in 2005, aiming to prepare for the 2028 Olympics.
Vietnam U23 team and the significance of the Panda Cup 2025
The Vietnam U23 team will field its best players, mostly the key players who won the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 Championship and qualified for the 2026 Asian U23 Championship. With the upcoming schedule, the 2025 Panda Cup is seen as an important opportunity for the Vietnam U23 team to prepare for the 33rd SEA Games in December in Thailand.
Technical notes
- South Korea U23 head coach Lee Min-sung previously served as an assistant to Lee Jang-soo in China, thus becoming familiar with the football environment there.
- The U23 South Korea – Uzbekistan match on the 12th was played behind closed doors to minimize the risk of revealing tactics ahead of the Asian Cup group stage in January next year.
