A valuable lesson
The Vietnam U17 team was just three minutes away from securing a ticket to the U17 World Cup and first place in their group. In their final group stage match of the 2025 AFC U17 Championship against the UAE U17 team, coach Cristiano Roland's players led 1-0 until the 87th minute, with the Vietnamese youth team playing better, controlling the tempo of the game, and creating many scoring opportunities. The Vietnam U17 team truly played well against a team that had just defeated Australia U17 and drawn with Japan U17. However, with just one moment of carelessness, the Vietnam U17 defense allowed Haizaa Faisal to break through and head the ball into Hoa Xuan Tin's net. In an instant, Roland's team plummeted from the top of the group to the bottom, officially eliminated despite having a World Cup qualification spot at one point.
Vietnam U.17 is determined to win a ticket to the World Cup.
Photo: VFF
"I have regrets, but I'm not sad. The Vietnam U17 team fought their hearts out and showed everyone their immense potential. The only way to avoid conceding a goal is to park a truck in front of the goal; that's football," Coach Roland recounted to Thanh Nien newspaper the moment the Vietnam U17 team "let the victory slip away." The Vietnam U17 team was just 3 minutes away from securing their victory against the UAE U17 team. However, to achieve that result, the entire team had overcome a long journey.
While proud of his students' two years of hard work, Coach Roland understands that the Vietnam U17 team still needs to improve. The World Cup ticket (awarded to teams that advance from the group stage of the AFC U17 Championship) is an attractive prize, meaning every team in the continent is investing heavily in their squad and playing style to compete for it. Training camps, international friendlies, and tours have been frequent for ambitious teams. The Vietnam U17 team itself recently had a successful training camp, remaining undefeated in five matches to claim the 2026 Southeast Asian U17 Championship title. While Coach Roland's players have progressed, their rivals are not standing still. The last time the Vietnam U17 team won an Asian Championship was 10 years ago, when Coach Dinh The Nam's youth team defeated Australia and Kyrgyzstan in the group stage. After a decade, Vietnamese youth football is once again dreaming of the World Cup. The goal will remain difficult and challenging, as a single moment or variable can be enough to reverse the situation. The Vietnam U17 team lost everything due to a moment of carelessness. Playing well is only a necessary condition; staying alert throughout the match, maintaining focus, and having a little luck are essential for the Vietnam U17 team to squeeze through the narrow gap. That is the value of the lesson hidden within the pain of Roland's team a year ago.
Identifying the strengths of Vietnam U.17's opponents at the 2026 AFC U.17 Championship.
Focus and humility
Under the sweltering heat of Hanoi , the Vietnam U17 team is still straining in their race for the U17 Asian Championship. Commands like "focus," "observe," and "shoot" are shouted hoarsely by coach Roland and his assistants, both during matches and in training sessions. Coach Roland's passion burns brightly as he attempts to conquer the mountain peak where he and the Vietnam U17 team were once so close to the finish line.
Coach Roland prioritized physical training to address the challenge of competing in the heat of Saudi Arabia. Nguyen Luc, Sy Bach, and others played well in the Southeast Asian U17 tournament, but it's worth remembering that 17 of the 19 goals were scored against opponents who were considered weaker than Vietnam's U17 team, such as Malaysia and East Timor. Vietnam's U17 team only faced one strong opponent, Australia's U17 team (winning 2-1), in the semi-finals.
In the Asian Championship, the pressure is even greater, as the South Korean U17 team is one of the strongest in the tournament in terms of physical strength and fighting spirit, while the UAE U17 team has already thwarted Japan and Australia in previous tournaments and has participated in the finals eight times. Only the Yemen U17 team is the weakest, but they also play very strong and technically skilled football and are accustomed to the West Asian climate.
Indonesian media expresses concern about losing World Cup qualification, while praising the chances of Vietnam's U.17 team.
Besides tactical drills such as quick counter-attacks, transitions, and defending against aerial balls, which Coach Roland and his assistants have meticulously practiced, along with tactical meetings analyzing video footage, Coach Roland is also unlocking the most important key: fighting spirit. According to Coach Roland, the Vietnam U17 team has a new identity and mindset, but to maintain it in the extremely "heated" matches in Saudi Arabia next month, both the coach and the players need to make an effort and remain humble to keep their feet on the ground.
Watch the entire U17 Southeast Asian Championship (April 11th to 24th) on TV360 at https://tv360.vn. Enjoy a smooth multi-platform experience, rewind and replay, and free Viettel 4G/5G data.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/tam-the-lua-chin-cui-dau-cua-u17-viet-nam-185260428200348652.htm
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