Forward Nguyen Van Truong (8) also had several opportunities but has yet to make a significant impact. Of the four forwards, only Nguyen Dinh Bac has scored, heading in the decisive goal in the 2-1 victory against Cambodia.

The team trained on the secondary pitch next to the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta from 4 p.m., the same time they will play the Philippines tomorrow, 25/7.

Unlike yesterday's 6 p.m. training session, which lacked sufficient light, today's session went smoothly.

As usual, the players ran several laps to warm up before starting specialized drills. All players participated in the training session and are in top condition.

Earlier, the team spent the morning analyzing videos, studying the Philippines' playing style and players.

Coach Kim Sang-sik used a tactical board on the field to position the players, arranging his optimal lineup.

The South Korean coach previously stated that facing the Philippines would be easier than facing the host nation Indonesia. Therefore, he might rotate the squad. A favorable result could allow him to rest key players for the final.

Central defender Pham Ly Duc suffered a minor injury during the warm-up before the victory against Cambodia. He still managed to score, opening the scoring in Vietnam's 2-1 win.

Yesterday, the Hoang Anh Gia Lai (HAGL) player trained lightly at the hotel but has returned to normal training today. Despite this, coach Kim remains uncertain about Ly Duc's availability for the match.

Midfielder Nguyen Thai Son also missed the final group stage match and has returned to training in excellent physical condition. If he starts, midfielder Nguyen Xuan Bac will return to the bench.

The U23 Southeast Asia Championship has been held four times, with Thailand (2005), Indonesia (2019), and Vietnam (2022, 2023) as previous champions. This year's tournament takes place from 15/7 to 31/7 in Indonesia.

Among the three goalkeepers, Tran Trung Kien (center) has earned coach Kim's absolute trust after two group stage matches.

Speaking before the semi-final, the HAGL goalkeeper said, "Recently, I and the entire team have been very focused and determined to achieve the best possible results in the upcoming two matches,".

Forward Nguyen Quoc Viet (right) competes for the ball with his teammates during a practice match. The forward, who developed at the Nutifood academy, had several opportunities but has yet to score in the group stage.

Quoc Viet has also won the Southeast Asia Championship twice with Vietnam's U23 team and is aiming for a hat-trick.

Captain Khuat Van Khang (15) is the most experienced player in Vietnam's U23 team, having participated in the tournament twice, in addition to playing for the Vietnam national team that won the 2024 ASEAN Cup.

In the group stage, Van Khang scored one goal and provided two assists.

10 teams are participating in this year's U23 Southeast Asia Championship, divided into three groups. The four semi-finalists are Indonesia (first in group A), the Philippines (second in group A), Vietnam (first in group B), and Thailand (first in group C).

The second semi-final between Indonesia and Thailand will take place at 8 p.m. on 25/7.

Duc Dong