Despite the loss, the Vietnam U17 team still deserves praise.

This is because very few Vietnamese national youth football teams have been able to take the lead against a powerhouse like South Korea in a continental-level tournament.

Vietnam U17 showed maturity in the match against South Korea - Photo: AFC

In the early hours of May 11th, the Vietnam U17 team nearly caused an upset against South Korea U17, leading until the 84th minute in their second match of Group C at the 2026 AFC U17 Championship. Despite being defeated 4-1 by their opponents in the final moments of the match, the Vietnam U17 team still deserves encouragement.

Commendable progress

The South Korean U17 team was the highest-level opponent the Vietnamese U17 team had faced since being coached by Cristiano Roland over a year ago. In a crucial match where South Korea was in a must-win situation, the way the Vietnamese U17 team played for most of the game was highly commendable.

Specifically, the Vietnam U17 team started the first half very confidently. Despite being dominated by South Korea U17, the young Vietnamese players boldly pushed forward to put pressure on their opponents.

When in possession, players launch quick attacks with short, quick passes instead of just waiting to clear the ball or playing long balls.

The goal scored in the 33rd minute was the result of thorough and meticulous preparation by the Vietnam U17 team. In this goal, Dao Quy Vuong intercepted the ball and then played a through pass to Le Sy Bach, who surged forward and fired a diagonal shot into the opponent's net. The goal was scored in just four touches over a mere five seconds, leaving the South Korea U17 players with no time to react.

After taking the lead, the Vietnam U17 team retreated to protect their advantage. Coach Roland's substitutions in the second half also prioritized defense. The tenacious tackling efforts of players from all three lines helped the Vietnam U17 team hold firm. And they came very close to victory, before an unexpected "accident" occurred...

Physical condition needs to be restored.

"Against an opponent with superior physique, fitness, and technical skills like South Korea, the Vietnamese U17 players had to put in two to three times the normal effort to ensure the tactics were executed. This caused the Vietnamese U17 players to quickly tire out towards the end before completely collapsing after the 1-1 equalizer," expert Phan Anh Tú told Tuổi Trẻ.

"Nevertheless, the Vietnam U17 team deserves praise for their professional progress. We are fully capable of winning against the UAE U17 team and simultaneously having control over our own destiny regarding qualification for the quarterfinals," Mr. Tu added.

Despite a heavy defeat against South Korea U17, Vietnam U17 still has a chance to advance to the next round and qualify for the World Cup if they beat UAE U17 in the final match. Therefore, the whole team needs to boost their morale and recover their physical condition to aim for a positive result.

Coach Cristiano Roland encourages the entire Vietnam U17 team - Photo: AFC

Vietnam U17 holds high hopes.

With U17 Yemen's victory over U17 UAE, the situation in Group C is now in favor of Coach Roland's team. After two matches, U17 South Korea is leading the group with 4 points, followed by U17 Vietnam (3 points), U17 Yemen (3 points), and U17 UAE (1 point).

In the final round of matches, Vietnam U17 will face UAE U17, while South Korea U17 will play Yemen U17. If Vietnam U17 wins against UAE, they will be guaranteed a place in the quarterfinals regardless of the result of the South Korea-Yemen U17 match.

If we draw with UAE, we can still qualify for the next round if U17 South Korea doesn't lose to U17 Yemen. In the case that U17 Vietnam draws with U17 UAE and U17 South Korea loses to U17 Yemen, although we are eliminated, we could still qualify for the World Cup through a wildcard if U17 Qatar advances. This possibility arises because U17 Qatar is the host of the 2026 U17 World Cup. Therefore, if they reach the quarterfinals of the U17 Asian Championship, the World Cup spot that Qatar originally had will be transferred to the third-placed team with the best performance in the group stage.

In Group B, U17 Qatar is highly likely to advance to the next round as runners-up, as their final match will be against U17 China, who have yet to earn any points after two matches.

Therefore, as long as they don't lose to the UAE U17 team, many scenarios favor the Vietnam U17 team securing a ticket to the World Cup.

NGOC LE

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/thua-nhung-u17-viet-nam-van-dang-khen-2026051210054441.htm