Vietnam U17 women's team and the threshold of history.

VHO - This afternoon, May 11th, Vietnamese youth football will face a moment that could make history. In the quarter-finals of the 2026 AFC U17 Women's Championship, at 2 PM at the Suzhou Sports Center Stadium (China), Coach Okiyama Masahiko's team will face the Australian U17 women's team in a match of special significance. A victory would secure Vietnam's U17 women's team a ticket to the 2026 U17 Women's World Cup.

Fans are hoping the Vietnamese U17 girls will make history.

The dream of participating in the World Cup has never been closer for Vietnamese women's youth football. After years of dedicated investment, training, and persistent foundation building, these young women are now just one match away from the biggest football stage on the planet.

The group stage journey showed significant maturity for the Vietnam U17 women's team. Despite being in a tough group, the Vietnam U17 women's team played with great composure and improved with each match. After a 2-2 draw with Thailand U17 and a 0-3 loss to host China, coach Okiyama Masahiko's players staged an emotional comeback to defeat Myanmar U17 2-1 in the final match.

That victory not only brought in 3 valuable points but also helped the Vietnam U17 women's team surpass Thailand to secure second place in Group A with 4 points, thus qualifying for the quarterfinals of the AFC U17 Women's Championship for the first time in history. More importantly, the performance of the young players showed that Vietnamese women's football possesses a promising generation capable of playing modern football, confidently and with a strong fighting spirit.

Under the guidance of coach Masahiko Okiyama, the Vietnam U17 women's team is no longer just a defensive group against stronger opponents. The team has demonstrated clear tactical thinking, effective pressing, and, most importantly, an unyielding fighting spirit. This is the foundation that has made the young Vietnamese team a formidable force. After their historic quarterfinal qualification, the Vietnam U17 women's team's goal is no longer just to learn or gain experience, but to seize the opportunity to write a new milestone for Vietnamese football.

However, the challenge posed by Australia will certainly not be easy to overcome. The representatives from the "Land of the Kangaroos" possess superior physique and fitness, which has always been a traditional strength of Australian football. The Australian U17 women's team plays fast-paced, powerful football and is particularly dangerous in aerial duels.

However, this team also revealed certain limitations in the group stage. The heavy 0-5 defeat against Japan U17 women's team showed that Australia struggles against opponents with good technique, flexible short passing, and high ball circulation speed. This could be a weakness that Vietnam U17 women's team can exploit.

If they play to their full potential, Coach Okiyama Masahiko's team could certainly spring a surprise. Compared to Australia, the Vietnamese U17 women's team may not be strong in one-on-one challenges, but they possess agility, technical skill, and a passionate fighting spirit. Their ability to control the ball, quickly transition between attacking and defensive phases, and their flexibility in small group combinations will be key to creating opportunities for the red-shirted team.

The most important thing for the Vietnam U17 women's team right now is to maintain focus throughout the 90 minutes. Against a physically strong opponent like Australia, even a moment of lapse in concentration could be costly. Conversely, if they maintain good team positioning, limit aerial balls, and effectively utilize counter-attacking opportunities, the Vietnam U17 women's team has every right to think about victory.

Youth football is always full of surprises and unpredictability. The skill gap at the youth level isn't as wide as in top-level football, where character and spirit can sometimes make all the difference. This was proven when the Vietnam U17 men's team defeated Australia U17 2-1 at the recent Southeast Asian tournament. This demonstrates that Vietnamese youth teams can absolutely create surprises if they are well-prepared and have enough confidence.

More than anyone else, coach Okiyama Masahiko understands that this is a "golden opportunity" for Vietnamese women's youth football to turn a new page. A World Cup ticket is not just about achieving a simple accomplishment, but also a huge boost for youth training, for the fans' confidence, and for the future of Vietnamese women's football. If they overcome Australia, the U17 Vietnamese women's team will become the second Vietnamese youth football team to qualify for the World Cup, after the U20 Vietnamese team's feat in 2017. This would be a historic milestone not only for women's football but also for the entire country's football.

Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/the-thao/u17-nu-viet-nam-va-nguong-cua-lich-su-226697.html