Coach Kim Sang-sik reveals extremely 'unique' psychological trick: U.23 Vietnam wins, of course!

Interesting revelations from coach Kim Sang-sik

On the morning of July 31, Coach Kim Sang-sik had an online conversation with Thanh Nien Newspaper. Here, the Korean coach revealed interesting details related to the journey to win the Southeast Asian championship of U.23 Vietnam.

Thanh Nien Newspaper asked Coach Kim Sang-sik: "Like the Vietnam team, U.23 Vietnam won the championship on away field despite having to endure pressure from opponents and spectators. How did you prepare the psychological foundation for your students?"

PHOTO: TUAN MINH

The Korean coach revealed a surprise: "Each match has its own difficulties, mentally. But the players were encouraged and motivated, which helped us win the championship. I also shared a little bit, before the match with U.23 Indonesia took place, their fans wore red shirts. In such an atmosphere, the players could lose confidence. I told the players that, as you can see, the people wearing red shirts are cheering for us because we also wear red shirts. With that encouragement, the players will be stronger and more confident."

Coach Kim Sang-sik's psychological attack needs to be similar to the "trick" that a famous athlete once revealed, which is to create a psychological illusion, consider the opponent's fans as his own fans, and see the boos as... melodious music. By focusing only on the match and ignoring external pressure, U.23 Vietnam was able to stand firm at Gelora Bung Karno. Coach Kim Sang-sik's students even did not allow the opponent to shoot on goal once.

"We and the players prepared very carefully for more than a month. The players tried very hard, were patient, persistent, and listened to the coaching staff. From the match with U.23 Laos to the final, with each match the players became more confident. I think that was the key to helping us win the championship," coach Kim Sang-sik revealed.

The door to the national team is always open to U.23 Vietnam

The U.23 Southeast Asian Championship of U.23 Vietnam had great contributions from players who were called up to the national team, such as goalkeeper Trung Kien, center back Ly Duc, midfielder Van Truong and strikers Quoc Viet and Dinh Bac.

PHOTO: TUAN MINH

Coach Kim Sang-sik's policy of "interlocking" young talents with seniors in the Vietnam team has been effective. The pillars of the U.23 Vietnam team all played steadily and consistently in this tournament to reach glory.

"I am very satisfied with the players' recent performance, both physically and mentally. From now on, the coaching staff and I will continue to look for new players to create a new breeze for the team," Coach Kim Sang-sik confided to Thanh Nien Newspaper .

"I can't name any names yet, but I have a plan in mind. Many players have the ability to help the team improve. The coaching staff and I will continue to monitor their development through domestic tournaments. The door to the national team is always open to players."

However, answering Thanh Nien Newspaper's question about the opportunity for young players to play in the V-League, coach Kim Sang-sik still had some concerns.

PHOTO: TUAN MINH

"I see a reality of the current V-League that young players do not seem to be playing regularly in the highest level of Vietnamese football. I really hope for a change. Should the VFF influence or encourage teams to actively train more young people? In the near future, U.23 Vietnam will have many important international tournaments and I hope my students maintain stable performance.

Hopefully, when the players return to their home clubs, they will maintain their hard training. They will go to the gym, practice physical training and practice more to improve their physical strength, prepare carefully for one-on-one situations because our opponents in the future are also very strong. Thanks to the championship of the 2025 U.23 Southeast Asian Championship, the young players will have more confidence and maturity for the future."