U23 Vietnam’s campaign in the 2025 AFF U23 Championship began with a comfortable 3-0 win over U23 Laos at the Patriot Stadium in Indonesia. While the scoreline may seem modest compared to previous meetings, the match was largely one-sided. Coach Kim Sang Sik's side dominated possession, controlled play, and rarely allowed the Laotian team to enter their half.

From a results-oriented perspective, the team did its job effectively. A smooth opening with no surprises sets a solid foundation for the rest of the tournament.

However, a closer analysis of the 90 minutes suggests there is more to be desired. The scoreline failed to reflect the extent of U23 Vietnam’s superiority. Despite pinning Laos back for most of the game, the Vietnamese team created relatively few real chances and shots on goal.

Laos’ deep defensive approach may explain part of the challenge, but the larger issue appeared to lie within Vietnam’s own ranks. There was a clear lack of creativity and tactical variation. Most of the goals came from Laotian defensive errors or set pieces rather than open-play combinations or well-executed offensive strategies.

Some might argue that Coach Kim was deliberately holding back tactical plans for tougher future matches. However, even under that assumption, the visible lack of fluency and cohesion on the field was concerning.

The disjointed link-up play between the lines suggested a deeper problem than merely saving strategies for later. Many players in the starting eleven have played together for years through the youth national teams. By now, their chemistry should be well developed - yet it looked uncertain.

U23 Vietnam clearly has more work to do. If they aim to challenge stronger opponents and go deep in the tournament, they must refine their attacking machine, improve understanding among teammates, and boost tactical fluidity in the final third.

Duy Nguyen