South Korea U23 vs Vietnam U23 Asian Games Preview
South Korea and Vietnam square off in the quarter-finals of the football event at the 2026 Asian Games, with a place in the last four up for grabs.
The Taegeuk Warriors are enjoying a solid campaign and should be too strong for their rivals, who have not been at their best.
Key Stats
- South Korea U23 won their two Group stage matches.
- South Korea U23 have won three of their last four matches in all competitions.
- Vietnam U23 are winless in five of their last six matches in all competitions.
- Vietnam U23 have lost three of their last five matches in all competitions.
South Korea on Top
South Korea have never suffered a regulation time defeat in this fixture, with four wins and two draws from seven previous meetings with Vietnam. The most recent meeting was a 2-2 draw in an AFC Asian U23 Cup third-place clash in January, with the Vietnamese winning on penalties.
South Korea Looking Solid
South Korea head into this clash off the back of a 4-1 victory in their final group stage clash. They laboured for much of the first half but came to life after the break, with goals from Shin Min-Ha and Kim Myung-Jun earning them the win.
That was the second straight win for South Korea, who began their campaign with a 4-1 victory over Qatar. Lee Min-Sung’s team finished as group winners and will be keen to maintain their momentum in the knockout stages.
Beyond the Asian Games, South Korea’s overall form has been solid lately. The Taegeuk Warriors have won three of their last four matches in all competitions.
Vietnam Below Their Best
Vietnam are coming off a defeat as they were beaten 2-0 by Uzbekistan in their final group stage fixture. They were second best throughout the contest and could only muster a single attempt on target.
That result means Vietnam only picked up one win from their three group stage matches, the 2-0 victory over the Philippines in their second fixture. However, they were able to secure a quarter-final berth with four points, having begun their campaign with a 1-1 draw with Kuwait.
Vietnam’s overall form has been less than stellar in recent times, with just one win in their last six matches in all competitions. Kim Sang-sik's team have suffered three defeats in the last five fixtures in this run.
Team News & Predicted Line-ups
South Korea (4-3-3): Kim Jun-Hong; Choi Seok-Hyun, Kim Ji-Soo, Shin Min-Ha, Bae Hyun-Seo; Lee Gi-Hyuk; Yang Hyun-Jun, Lee Seong-Won, Bae Jun-Ho, Eom Ji-Sung; Kim Myung-Jun.
South Korea have no injuries or suspensions from their previous fixture and are likely to stick with the same team that beat Saudi Arabia. Kim Myung-Jun should feature in attack once again while Shin Min-Ha is set to continue at the back.
Vietnam (4-1-4-1): Cao Van Binh; Pham Minh Phuc, Pham Ly Duc, Duc Anh Nguyen, Phi Hoang Nguyen; Le Nguyen Hoang; Nguyen Thanh Nhan, Nguyen Xuan Bac, Quoc Nguyen Thai, Nguyen Ngoc My; Nguyen Quoc Viet.
Nguyen Xuan Bac went off injured in the first half last time out and is likely to miss out for Vietnam. Quang Vinh Nguyen is likely to come in for the midfielder, while forward Nguyen Quoc Viet should return to the starting line-up after coming off the bench against Uzbekistan.