U20 Vietnam Set Aside Disappointment, Determined to Beat Palestine

The training ground on the afternoon of September 2 in Bac Ninh City had no cheering from spectators. Only the sound of the ball rolling, the coach's whistle, and the heavy breathing of young players. That atmosphere was very different from a normal training session. Just 48 hours earlier, U20 Vietnam had suffered a 0-3 defeat to U20 North Korea in the opening match of the 2027 AFC U20 Asian Cup qualifiers. That defeat was not just a bad result on the scoreboard, but a real psychological shock for the whole team. But what caught my attention was not the 0-3 scoreline. What caught my attention was how the players stood on the training ground today. They no longer had the tense faces from after the match. They laughed, they talked, they played games with each other during warm-up. The truth is, space does not lie. And on this training ground, the space was telling a different story than what the 0-3 scoreline reflected. The story of a team that has moved past its sadness, and is now looking toward the match against U20 Palestine – a match considered an 'early final' of this group. To understand why the match against Palestine is so important, we need to go back to the context of the group. U20 Vietnam is in Group C alongside U20 North Korea, U20 Iran, and U20 Palestine. This is considered a very difficult group for coach Yutaka Ikeuchi's squad. In the first round, U20 North Korea showed superior strength by defeating U20 Vietnam 3-0. Meanwhile, U20 Iran also secured a victory over U20 Palestine with a 2-1 scoreline. Thus, after the first round, the Group C standings have become clearly differentiated: North Korea and Iran lead with 3 points each, while Vietnam and Palestine have no points. Under the format of the AFC U20 Asian Cup qualifiers, only the group winners and the best-performing runners-up advance to the finals. This means the match between U20 Vietnam and U20 Palestine on September 3 is almost decisive in nature. The losing team will almost certainly be eliminated, while the winning team will keep their hopes of advancing alive. However, U20 Vietnam's problem is not just about having to win. The problem lies in the fact that their squad is severely weakened. In the initial call-up list, U20 Vietnam did not have their strongest squad. More bad news came to the coaching staff when key midfielder Nguyen Le Phat had to leave the team. Le Phat's departure leaves a significant gap in midfield – the area that needs players with experience and the ability to control the tempo of the match. With Le Phat gone, U20 Vietnam's defense now relies on a single anchor: center-back Dinh Quang Kiet. Despite having a poor match against U20 North Korea, Quang Kiet remains the most experienced player and the most important pillar in the team's defensive system. He is the best reader of the game, the commander of the backline, and the one capable of launching attacks from his own half. However, relying too heavily on a single player has never been a sustainable strategy, especially in a youth tournament where psychological stability is a matter of survival. Looking at the 0-3 defeat to U20 North Korea, it's clear that U20 Vietnam's problem was not about fitness or individual technical ability. The problem was their ability to organize defensively when facing high pressure from the opponent. U20 North Korea pressed intensely from the start, not allowing U20 Vietnam time and space to build up play from their own half. As a result, U20 Vietnam's defense was constantly on alert, and misplaced passes occurred repeatedly. This is a tactical puzzle that coach Yutaka Ikeuchi needs to solve before the Palestine match. The issue is, U20 Palestine is not a weak opponent. They just lost 1-2 to U20 Iran, but that scoreline does not fully reflect their true strength. Palestine plays a disciplined style, defends tightly, and is very dangerous in set-piece situations. If U20 Vietnam maintains the same approach as in the North Korea match, the risk of failure is very high. So, what has changed in the past two days? According to what was revealed from the September 2 training session, the coaching staff has intensified tactical drills, especially defensive situations and team organization. There is no specific information about which tactical formation will be used, but it can be inferred that U20 Vietnam will play deeper, more compactly, and prioritize defense over attack. This is a reasonable adjustment after a heavy defeat. However, defending alone is not enough. U20 Vietnam needs to win, and win convincingly if possible, to improve their goal difference – a factor that could be crucial in the race for a best runner-up spot. This poses a difficult puzzle: how to ensure defensive solidity while creating enough scoring opportunities upfront? One of the bright spots I observed from the training session was the players' spirit. Coach Yutaka Ikeuchi made very positive statements before the match, emphasizing that 'it's not over yet' and the team will 'compensate the fans with better performances.' Those words might just be encouragement, but they show something important: the coaching staff is managing the team's psychology well. In youth football, psychology is the deciding factor. A team with good morale can overcome professional limitations. Conversely, a professionally gifted team with shattered morale can collapse at any moment. The match against Palestine will be the most important test of mental maturity for these young U20 Vietnam players. From a tactical perspective, I believe U20 Vietnam needs to solve three main issues in this match. First, they must improve their ability to escape pressing. U20 Palestine will certainly learn from North Korea's approach, closing down and applying pressure right from U20 Vietnam's own half. Without a clear build-up plan, U20 Vietnam will again fall into a passive position. Second, they need to make full use of set-piece situations. For a team without overwhelming physical advantages, corner kicks and direct free kicks are prime opportunities to score. Quang Kiet, with his height and aerial ability, will be a key target in these situations. Third, they need to have a Plan B. If Palestine plays a deep defensive block and seals off all spaces, U20 Vietnam needs players capable of creating breakthroughs in one-on-one situations. This is where young players need to show their individual courage. However, there is one point that I believe needs to be addressed frankly. The fact that the team does not have their strongest squad is an undeniable reality. There have been opinions suggesting this is one of the important reasons for the defeat against North Korea. I agree with that assessment to a certain extent. But I also believe that in youth tournaments, the absence of a few players cannot be an excuse for a poor result. Youth football is where new talents are discovered, where lesser-known players get the chance to prove themselves. If U20 Vietnam can secure a victory over Palestine with the current squad, that would be a very positive signal for the development of Vietnamese youth football. The match between U20 Vietnam and U20 Palestine will take place at 7:00 PM on September 3. This is a match where neither team can afford to lose. For U20 Vietnam, a defeat would mean saying goodbye to the dream of competing in the 2027 AFC U20 Asian Cup finals. For U20 Palestine, they also understand this is their last chance to keep their hopes alive. In that context, the match promises to be tense and fiercely contested. I cannot be certain about the result, because football always contains surprises. But I believe that with improved morale and thorough tactical preparation, U20 Vietnam has every reason to aim for a positive result. And regardless of the outcome, the most important thing is that these young players have learned how to get up after a defeat. That is the most valuable lesson football can offer.