On the evening of 23/7, one day after securing their spot in the semi-finals, the Vietnam U23 team practiced on the auxiliary field next to Bung Karno Stadium. The field lacked adequate lighting, but due to prior scheduling, the team couldn't change locations. Coach Kim encouraged his players to complete the training session.

Fitness coach Cedric Rogers (in green) guides the players through a warm-up exercise with the ball.

Midfielder Viktor Le (right) warms up while talking with teammate Khuat Van Khang (left). This is Viktor's first international tournament with the Vietnam U23 team. He came on as a substitute in the opening victory against Laos before starting in the 2-1 win over Cambodia.

Coach Kim didn't differentiate between starters and substitutes from the previous match, having all players participate in the cool-down exercises with the ball. The U23 Southeast Asia Championship has been held four times, with Thailand (2005), Indonesia (2019), and Vietnam (2022, 2023) winning the title. This year's tournament is the fifth edition, taking place from 15/7 to 29/7 in Indonesia.

Forward Nguyen Dinh Bac (center) participates in a practice match with his teammates. He is currently the only forward to have scored for the Vietnam U23 team. The other goals have come from defenders Khuat Van Khang, Nguyen Hieu Minh (2), and Pham Ly Duc.

During today's training session, central defender Pham Ly Duc experienced minor pain and trained separately at the hotel. The HAGL player scored the opening goal for Vietnam in their victory against Cambodia.

The 2025 U23 Southeast Asia Championship is taking place in Indonesia from 15/7 to 29/7, with all 10 teams participating, divided into three groups. The group stage determined the four semi-finalists: Indonesia (first in Group A), Philippines (second in Group A), Vietnam (first in Group B), and Thailand (first in Group C).

Coach Kim Sang-sik closely observes the players during practice. Before practice, he rallied the players in the locker room after they qualified for the semi-finals. "We consider the next two matches as two finals. The whole team must strive, unite, and give their best," he said.

Midfielder Nguyen Xuan Bac started against Cambodia in place of Nguyen Thai Son. In an interview, he expressed satisfaction with his performance but regretted that he and his teammates missed several opportunities. "We've had a meeting to review our performance and analyze our opponent, the Philippines. They are a strong team that plays a tight game, so we must have a suitable strategy to win the semi-final," he revealed.

The Thai players practiced at the same time as Vietnam on the adjacent field. Coach Kim kept a close eye on the opponent, even though the two teams aren't guaranteed to meet in the final or the third-place match. Thailand will face host Indonesia at 8 p.m. on 25/7 in the second semi-final, while Vietnam will play the Philippines at 4 p.m. in the first semi-final.

Duc Dong