The growth of U17

That achievement opened an important milestone for Vietnamese youth football, and at the same time showed the remarkable maturity of a new generation of players under the guidance of coach Cristiano Roland.

Collective mark

On the evening of November 30, the U17 Asian qualifiers ended with a memorable highlight for U17 Vietnam. Facing U17 Malaysia, the only opponent capable of competing for the top spot, coach Cristiano Roland and his team played proactively, maintaining a reasonable formation distance, pressing effectively and making the most of the space to score four convincing goals.

That victory not only secured the top spot in Group C, but also helped Vietnam become one of the teams with the best performance in the entire continent. In the history of 10 times participating in the final round, this is the first time that Vietnamese football has advanced with a perfect winning form throughout the qualifying round, scoring an average of 6 goals per match.

It is noteworthy that U17 Vietnam did not fall into an “easy” group as many people imagined. In group C, in addition to the Northern Mariana Islands or Macau (China), opponents such as Singapore or Hong Kong (China) all possess an annoying defensive counter-attacking style of play.

Malaysia won all four matches before meeting Vietnam and was considered the most promising candidate. However, when entering the decisive match, U17 Vietnam showed superiority in terms of competition organization, will and mental resilience. Coach Javier Jorda Ribera of U17 Malaysia was forced to admit: "U17 Vietnam is the strongest team in the group. They have many diverse attacking strategies and control the match very well. Their victory is deserved."

Abundant physical strength, proactive spirit and confidence in every move help U17 Vietnam not only score goals regularly but also completely dominate the matches. This is a clear improvement compared to many previous young generations who often had difficulty in "unlocking" crowded defenses.

What makes the U17 Vietnam team so special this time is the uniformity in the quality of its personnel. The team does not depend on any individual and does not look for a “number 1 star” for every match. Every player can be a difference maker, from the resilient defense to the flexible midfield and the sharp attack.

Names like Manh Cuong, Chu Ngoc Nguyen Luc, Van Duong, Sy Bach or Manh Quan all left their mark through their strong, alert and connected playing style. In matches against Singapore or Malaysia, the two teams often arranged their defenses to retreat deep, but U17 Vietnam still deployed many diverse attacking plans such as small passes in the middle, high-speed wing attacks, and second-line finishing. It was this flexible handling ability that made the opponent constantly passive.

The tactical thinking of the young players is also a highlight. Under the guidance of coach Cristiano Roland, the team has always maintained the ability to quickly change state, which is an important factor in modern football.

Every time the ball is won, the players immediately move to create a triangle to open up space; when the ball is lost, the whole team closes in early to recover it. It is a systematic style of play, not just based on individual inspiration.

The fighting spirit of U17 Vietnam was clearly shown through the fact that the players were not psychologically affected when facing Malaysia in the decisive match. At a time when many people thought that a draw was enough, U17 Vietnam still chose to enter the game proactively, raising the squad and looking for an early goal. That is the spirit of confidence, not avoiding challenges - something that Vietnamese youth football always expects.

The captain's mark

The success of U17 Vietnam cannot be mentioned without mentioning Coach Cristiano Roland. After more than 18 years of working with Vietnam, he not only understands young players, but also understands how Vietnamese football operates, the Vietnamese mentality and the unique cultural features of the country's football.

Coach Roland brings professional standards to coaching. He participated in youth training at European clubs before returning to Vietnam to work with the U9 to U19 teams, then joined the National U16 Coaching Board. With a UEFA A-level coaching license, he created a systematic training process, focusing on technical foundations and reading the game.

Winning a ticket to the 2026 AFC U17 Championship is just the beginning. The tournament in Saudi Arabia will be a real challenge for Vietnamese youth football, where the team will have to face strong football development at the youth level such as Japan, South Korea, Uzbekistan and Australia.

However, the qualifying journey has provided a solid foundation of confidence. With a generation of players following the trend of modern football, a stable tactical framework and a well-trained team spirit, U17 Vietnam has reason to set higher goals before the Asian tournament.

Looking at the way U17 Vietnam plays with confidence, discipline, tactical compliance and creativity, it can be seen that Vietnamese youth football is on the right track. The achievements left behind are not only impressive numbers, but also an affirmation that Vietnamese football is completely capable of building new generations of players capable of competing in the continental arena.

The journey ahead is long, but the journey so far has opened up great hope. A new generation of players is maturing, bringing with them a positive competitive spirit, modern football thinking and a desire to contribute.

Under the leadership of an experienced coach with a deep attachment to Vietnamese football, they deserve to be trusted in their journey to conquer new heights.

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