What are the U.22 Vietnam team waiting for? Let's accelerate!

Indonesian youth football isn't too formidable when it doesn't use naturalized players.

Many players from the U.20 teams currently participating in the Asian Championships of Indonesia and Thailand will be included in the SEA Games 33 in 2025. In particular, most of the defenders from the Indonesian U.20 team participating in the 2025 U.20 Asian Championship are also part of the squad for the 2024 AFF Cup, a force that the Indonesian Football Federation (PSSI) has stated will form the core of the Indonesian U.22 team for the SEA Games 33.

Vietnamese football currently holds the two most important titles in Southeast Asia: the AFF Cup and the U.23 Southeast Asian Championship. Will the U.22 Vietnam team win the gold medal at the SEA Games 33 later this year?

These defenders included center-back Kadek Arel, Sulthan Zaky, and left-back and captain of the Indonesian U.20 team, Dony Tri Pamungkas. Among them, Kadek Arel and Dony Tri Pamungkas were in the starting lineup when Indonesia U.20 played Iran U.20. However, these defenders were unable to prevent Iran from scoring 3 goals against the Indonesian youth team (Indonesia U.20 ultimately lost 0-3).

Indra Sjafri, the coach of the Indonesian U.20 team participating in the 2025 Asian U.20 Championship, is also the person who could lead the Indonesian U.22 team at the 33rd SEA Games. The PSSI (Indonesian Football Association) is reviewing the performance of the Indonesian U.20 team at the ongoing Asian Championship before deciding on the official coaching role at the SEA Games for Indra Sjafri.

Indra Sjafri was the key figure in leading the Indonesian men's football team to victory at the 32nd SEA Games in 2023 in Cambodia. Therefore, Indra Sjafri himself, and the Indonesian U.20 team in general, are receiving high expectations.

However, a significant difference can be seen between Indonesian national teams when they have naturalized players and when they don't. In the 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign, the reason the Indonesian national team was able to compete with strong teams was because they used a squad consisting mostly of players of European origin. Without naturalized players, Indonesian teams are not as formidable.

At this year's SEA Games 33, if the Indonesian youth team doesn't add any more players of European origin, they won't be much stronger than the Vietnamese U22 team, especially considering that Coach Kim Sang-sik's team is now vastly different from Coach Troussier's team at the SEA Games two years ago.

Thai youth football is undergoing a major overhaul.

Like the Indonesian U.20 team, the Thai U.20 team is participating in the 2025 Asian Championship with the aim of further scouting talent and preparing for the SEA Games 33 on their home soil later this year.

Thailand U.22 (in blue) wants to change the color of their SEA Games medal.

The Thai youth team had hoped that two Thai players of overseas origin, including central midfielder John Miettinen (1.81 m, currently playing for Orebro SK in Sweden) and right winger Erawan Garnier (1.80 m, currently playing for Olympique Lyon in France), would return to play for the U.20 team in the U.20 Asian Championship, and then be further prepared to join the U.22 Thai national team for the SEA Games.

However, at the last minute, this plan fell through because the clubs of the two players had not yet agreed to release John Miettinen and Erawan Garnier to the Thai youth national teams for tournaments outside of FIFA Days.

Previously, Thailand lost center-back Jonathan Khemdee, right-back James Beresford, and two outstanding forwards, Suphanat Mueanta and Teerasak Poeiphimai (both 23 years old), to their SEA Games squad after the Southeast Asian Games organizers lowered the age limit for participation from 23 to 22. Thailand is now eager to add good players to their U22 team in the near future, but their unsuccessful performance at the U20 Asian Championship may make their recruitment plans even more difficult.

In terms of playing style, the U20 Thailand team also failed to show any significant breakthroughs in their opening match against U20 Japan at the Asian Championship (losing 0-3). As long as Thai youth football doesn't show any significant changes in personnel or playing style, Vietnamese youth teams have a good chance of defeating them. The U22 Vietnam team will also have that opportunity at the SEA Games, because while Thailand is still struggling to build a new squad, we have already somewhat established a quality core of young players who have received extensive training throughout 2024.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/u20-indonesia-thai-lan-tham-bai-o-chau-a-u22-viet-nam-doi-gi-ma-khong-but-toc-185250215121341314.htm