Proud of our warriors of the age of "breaking the horns of a buffalo"!

VHO - The journey of the Vietnam U17 team at the 2026 AFC U17 Championship ended in the quarterfinals after a 0-3 defeat against strong opponent Australia U17. Although they couldn't advance further, coach Cristiano Roland's team can still hold their heads high with the historic achievement of qualifying for the World Cup for the first time. This is a great source of pride for the fans, as these young warriors have brought immense joy.

Qualifying for the World Cup brings pride but also a responsibility for the Vietnam U17 team to prepare even better for the world stage.

A brilliant month

In just one month, the Vietnam U17 team consecutively achieved two major goals: winning the 2026 Southeast Asian U17 Championship and qualifying for the 2026 FIFA U17 World Cup. This impressive achievement not only marks a historic step forward for Vietnamese youth football but also affirms its leading position in the region at the U17 level.

At the 2026 AFC U17 Championship, while Thailand, Indonesia, and Myanmar were all eliminated in the group stage, Vietnam's U17 team made a strong impression by becoming the only team from the region to reach the quarterfinals and qualify for the World Cup.

According to coach Cristiano Roland, what makes him most proud is not just the achievement, but also the resilience and maturity of the players during the very short preparation period: "We won the Southeast Asian Championship and qualified for the World Cup despite not having much time to prepare. Over the past period, I have always set very high standards for the players, but now all I can say is that I am truly proud of them."

The Brazilian strategist expressed: “In just one month, we have achieved two goals. What the players have accomplished is truly remarkable. With only about 10 days of training before the tournament, achieving such results is no easy feat. But I know the whole of Vietnam is proud of them.”

From regional championships to continental triumphs, the young Vietnamese players have shown remarkable progress in both technical skills and mental fortitude. Against top Asian opponents, the U17 Vietnam team maintained confidence, discipline, and unwavering fighting spirit. Even in the most challenging moments, the entire team played with a burning desire to contribute and a sense of national pride.

One of the most noteworthy aspects of the Vietnam U17 team is their team spirit. Not relying on any single outstanding individual, the team plays cohesively, united, and always supports each other in every situation on the field.

Names like Nguyen Luc, Van Duong, Sy Bach, Minh Thuy… have left a lasting impression on fans with their courageous and passionate playing style. Although their journey at the U17 Asian Championship ended in the quarter-finals, what the Vietnam U17 team showed is enough to instill great confidence in the future.

Lessons for preparing to compete on the big stage.

Besides the praise and admiration for their achievements in the continental tournament, the competition in Saudi Arabia also left many important lessons for the young Vietnamese players as they prepare for the World Cup later this year in Qatar. The most noticeable lesson was the immaturity and lack of experience of the young players in crucial moments.

We have shown the world that Vietnam knows how to play football and plays with courage. The defeats in this tournament are not what we wanted, but our opponents were very strong and deserved it. However, we will do even better. I want the players to be even stronger before entering the World Cup, because that will be a huge challenge.

(Coach Cristiano Roland)

Against U17 South Korea, U17 Vietnam led until the 82nd minute and were very close to victory. However, in the last 10 minutes of the match, the team lost control and conceded four goals in quick succession. That match highlighted the vast difference in composure and game control between a leading Asian football nation and the young Vietnamese players.

In the match against the UAE U17 team, a lack of concentration continued to cost the Vietnam U17 team dearly. Just 17 seconds into the game, they conceded a goal due to a moment of carelessness. After taking a 2-1 lead, Coach Cristiano Roland's players quickly allowed their opponents to equalize. These mistakes reflect that maintaining focus throughout the 90 minutes remains a major problem for the young Vietnamese team.

In the quarter-final match against U17 Australia, U17 Vietnam once again learned a lesson about tactical adaptability and game approach. Having defeated their opponent in the 2026 Southeast Asian U17 Championship, Australia had completely transformed their lineup, playing style, and intensity in this rematch. Meanwhile, U17 Vietnam lacked the appropriate approach to cope with this change and suffered a 0-3 defeat.

Nevertheless, matches against South Korea, UAE, and Australia still hold great significance. These are all representatives from strong footballing nations in the continent, possessing better physical fitness, tactical thinking, and speed of play.

Matches like these will help young Vietnamese players gain experience and improve themselves before stepping onto the World Cup stage, where the challenges will be much greater as their opponents are teams from the world's leading football nations.

Therefore, coach Cristiano Roland quickly directed the entire team towards the next goal: preparing for the World Cup. The Brazilian strategist believes that the Vietnam U17 team needs more time to improve their physical fitness, resilience, and ability to maintain the intensity of high-level matches.

“We want more time to prepare for the World Cup and reach our best form. I know fitness is very important for the team. We will rest now, but I will try to get the whole team back to training together as soon as possible,” said coach Cristiano Roland.

The Brazilian coach also emphasized that the Vietnam U17 team showed courageous fighting spirit against strong opponents: “We have shown the world that Vietnam knows how to play football and plays with courage. The defeats in the tournament are not what we wanted, but the opponents were very strong and deserved it. However, we will do even better. I want the players to be even stronger before entering the World Cup, because that will be a huge challenge.”

Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/the-thao/tu-hao-cac-chien-binh-tuoi-be-gay-sung-trau-229031.html