Football prediction U17 Vietnam vs U17 Japan: Waiting for surprises

The second match of U17 Vietnam at the 2023 AFC U17 Championship finals is a confrontation with U17 Japan. After the first round, Group D showed absolute balance when all 4 teams had the same number of points, goals scored, and goals conceded.

U17 Vietnam and U17 Japan experienced the same scenario in the opening match when both dropped victories somewhat regrettably. U17 Vietnam let U17 India equalize in the 69th minute. U17 Japan let U17 Uzbekistan take back a point in the 83rd minute. The goals conceded simply came from the subjectivity of the defense in a not-so-bad game.

Football prediction U17 Vietnam vs U17 Japan: Waiting for surprises - 1 — U17 Vietnam played well on the opening day.

Coach Yoshiro Moriyama still brings the traditional Japanese football philosophy to the tournament. His students are steadfast in ball control and small-group coordination. However, Japan U17 is small in size, not showing physical superiority. This may be the reason why this team has not been able to overwhelm the opponent.

Japan U17 is still rated higher than Vietnam U17. Coach Hoang Anh Tuan understands this better than anyone. This coach will continue to maintain a somewhat less attractive game but bring optimal efficiency.

U17 Vietnam will still play with a 3-4-3 formation, but the two full-backs will limit their attacks and prioritize defense at home. Defending tightly before thinking about scoring is the motto of U17 Vietnam in this match.

In fact, the goal conceded against U17 India came from an unexpected and somewhat unlucky moment for U17 Vietnam. Rarely did the 3 central defenders of U17 Vietnam such as Tuan Khai, Thanh Binh or Van Thanh give the opponent a chance to approach Bao Ngoc's goal. Even this goalkeeper did well when facing the U17 India striker.

But the biggest problem of U17 Vietnam is the ability to control the ball in the midfield and the idea of handling the ball in the opponent's third. It is very likely that coach Hoang Anh Tuan will adjust the personnel to increase the quality of counter-attacks. If this is done, the chance of U17 Vietnam causing a big surprise will be much greater.