Vietnam U23: Physical breakthrough, aerial ball tactics.
Kim Sang-sik's U23 Vietnam team boasts record-breaking height: Trung Kien at 1.91m and Quang Kiet at 1.96m; their 8 goals from aerial balls helped them win the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 Championship and will continue to be utilized in the 2026 Asian U23 Championship qualifiers.
Under coach Kim Sang-sik, the Vietnam U23 team is redefining its playing identity by leveraging its physical advantage and direct approach. A team with many players over 1.8m tall, notably Tran Trung Kien (1.91m) and Dinh Quang Kiet (1.96m), has converted that advantage into goals: 8 goals from aerial situations at the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 Championship, and continued to build on this in the 2026 Asian U23 Championship qualifiers.
Record height and position allocation
The changes didn't happen by chance. The Vietnam U23 team was carefully selected from youth academies and also benefited from an improved nutritional regime. Kim Sang-sik used the right players in the right positions: "towers" covering the vertical axis and the penalty area, creating a foundation for a playing style that emphasizes tackling, strength, and handling under pressure.
| Location | High number of players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeeper | 3 |
| center back | 4 |
| Forward | 2 |
In areas requiring rhythm, tactical thinking, and agility, such as central midfield and full-back, he still places his trust in quick and creative players like Nguyen Thai Son and Khuat Van Khang. This balance between physicality and technique makes the team more cohesive.
Two air combat strongholds
- Tran Trung Kien: 1.91m
- Dinh Quang Kiet: 1.96m
Height along the vertical axis helps the Vietnam U23 team defend the penalty area and create weight in set pieces. In the context of competing with physically strong opponents in Asia such as Japan, South Korea, and Australia, this foundation minimizes the inherent disadvantage in aerial duels and one-on-one challenges.
High balls and set pieces are our weapons.
Vietnam U23 won the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 Championship with 8 goals, all from aerial attacks. Kim Sang-sik affirmed that he and his colleagues carefully studied various options for organizing corner kicks and indirect free kicks to maximize the height advantage, and continued to successfully apply them in the 2026 Asian U23 Championship qualifiers.
- Crossing legs: Phi Hoang, Van Khang
- Air combat destinations: Dinh Bac, Hieu Minh, Van Truong
The coordinated play is designed to create priority scoring channels: shifting the ball's trajectory towards the far post, pressing in the 5.5-meter area, or exploiting space behind the opponent's defense when they are defending in a zonal position. These are tactical details that suit the current personnel structure.
Direct playing style and Asian competitiveness
In modern football, a defense with many center-backs under 1.8m struggles to maintain performance without superior situational awareness. Kim Sang-sik's approach was to lay the foundation with physically strong players to implement a muscular, direct style of play. Once height meets the standards, individual skills and tactical awareness can flourish in high-intensity transitions and ball handling.
Impact and prospects
Vietnamese football once achieved success with aerial attacks at the SEA Games 30 and 31. With the current squad, the U23 Vietnam team possesses the full set of tools to replicate that glorious period: accurate crosses, reliable targets, and refined set-piece options. When physical attributes and tactics are synchronized, scoring goals from aerial balls will continue to be a springboard for further ambitions at the continental level.
