Korean coach leads Vietnam men's football team to 3rd regional title of 2025

Korean head coach Kim Sang-sik has led Vietnam to their third men's regional football title of the year. Vietnam's under-23 side defeated Thailand 3-2 for the men's football gold medal at the Southeast Asian Games (SEA) at Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok on Thursday. After conceding the match's first two goals, Vietnam stormed back with three unanswered markers, with Nguyen Thanh Nhan delivering the winning goal in extra time. This was Vietnam's first SEA gold medal since 2021, when they were coached by another Korean-born tactician, Park Hang-seo. During his five-year run with Vietnam, Park was celebrated as a national hero for guiding the country to massive success. But Kim, who took the reins in May 2024, pulled off something that even Park never accomplished — winning three trophies in one year. In January, Kim coached Vietnam's senior team to the title at the ASEAN Championship. Six months later, Vietnam won the ASEAN U-23 title. At the SEA Games, Vietnam beat Laos and Malaysia in the group stage before knocking off the Philippines 2-0 in the semifinals. In the final, Vietnam went do