The necessary progress of U22 Vietnam

The CFA Team China -Panda Cup 2025 international tournament is organized by the Chinese Football Association (CFA) in Chengdu (Sichuan province, China), taking place from November 12 to 18, 2025, with the participation of four U22 teams including Vietnam, Uzbekistan, South Korea and host China.

In the opening match against host U22 China, the U22 Vietnam team won convincingly. The players showed progress in playing style, courage and fighting spirit. Acting head coach Dinh Hong Vinh affirmed that the whole team is on the right track, increasingly mature and united in the journey to prepare for the 33rd SEA Games and the 2026 AFC U23 Championship.

Mr. Dinh Hong Vinh said: “This was a match in which the whole team demonstrated fighting spirit, organization and courage throughout the 90 minutes. Victory is not only the result, but also the reward for careful preparation, adherence to tactics and tactical discipline.”

U22 Vietnam also has clear progress in the ability to press high, change state and organize group defense. These are all tactical requirements that the coaching staff has trained very carefully for the team in the past time.

6-2.jpg -0 — U22 Vietnam in the match against U22 China. Photo: Panda Cup.

Compared to the two most recent confrontations with U22 China (lost 1-2 and drew 1-1), the biggest difference in the recent match lies in the players' mindset and initiative. "Previously, we were often caught up in the opponent's rhythm. Today, U22 Vietnam proactively pressed, maintained the team's distance and knew how to control the game with reasonable rotations," said coach Dinh Hong Vinh.

In addition, the coach also praised the players' discipline, patience and bravery at key moments, especially in the final stages of the match. Mr. Vinh also emphasized that the victory over U22 China is a positive signal that U22 Vietnam is on the right track: "This is an important match for us to test the team's maturity. The U22 Vietnam team is gradually becoming more united, demonstrating the true spirit and goals that the team is aiming for."

The progress of U22 Vietnam at the present time brings positive signals when we will soon aim for the SEA Games with the highest goal. Right before participating in the Panda Cup 2025, the coaching staff determined that continuing to face strong opponents in the tournament will bring an important stepping stone to help the U22 Vietnam team consolidate its forces, perfect its playing style, before entering the upcoming big goal of SEA Games 33.

At the Panda Cup 2025, the Vietnam U22 team gathers the best players who have been carefully selected through many training sessions and international competitions. Many faces who have worn the national team jersey continue to participate such as Tran Trung Kien, Khuat Van Khang, Nguyen Dinh Bac, alongside the pillars who have contributed significantly to the journey to win the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 Championship and win tickets to the 2026 Asian U23 Finals such as Nguyen Phi Hoang, Nguyen Xuan Bac, Le Van Thuan, Nguyen Thanh Nhan, Nguyen Ngoc My, Pham Ly Duc... Striker Bui Vi Hao returns after a long period of injury treatment.

This can be considered the framework of U22 Vietnam participating in the upcoming SEA Games 33. Therefore, the upcoming matches will be an important test for U22 Vietnam to accumulate the necessary expertise. The fact that SEA Games 33 does not apply the regulation of using over-age players, so the players will accumulate experience from the national team and international tournaments, which will bring confidence.

Vietnam U22 team prepares for the match against Uzbekistan U22
On the morning of November 14, the U22 Vietnam team held a meeting to review their experience after the 1-0 victory over host U22 China in the opening match of the CFA Team China - Panda Cup 2025 international football tournament. This is an important activity in the team's preparation, aiming to consolidate performance, improve professional parameters and look forward to the second match against U22 Uzbekistan.
The coaching staff analyzed detailed data from the victory over U22 China, drawing lessons for the players through specific situations via video . Coach Dinh Hong Vinh highly appreciated the team's fighting spirit, especially the concentration at key moments, and asked the team to continue to improve ball control, increase transition speed and improve efficiency in the final decisive phases.
Coach Dinh Hong Vinh emphasized that the victory against U22 China is very important, but what we need is to improve with each match. Uzbekistan is a strong opponent, with good organization and technical play. The whole team must prepare more carefully to maintain the initiative.
Head of the delegation Tran Anh Tu also praised the whole team for showing their bravery in the opening match and noted that the Panda Cup is a valuable opportunity to practice in preparation for the 33rd SEA Games and the 2026 AFC U23 Championship. Head of the delegation Tran Anh Tu asked the players to stay focused and ensure physical recovery to achieve the best performance for the remaining two matches.
The match between U22 Vietnam and U22 Uzbekistan will take place at 2:30 p.m. (Vietnam time) on November 15. This is expected to be a big challenge, but also an important opportunity for U22 Vietnam to test the squad, gain experience and perfect their playing style towards the upcoming key goals.
HH

Source: https://cand.com.vn/the-thao/su-tien-bo-can-thiet-cua-u22-viet-nam-i788119/