U20 Vietnam put aside sadness, determined to beat Palestine

On the morning of September 2, at the training ground in Bishkek, I stood from a distance watching a group of young Vietnamese players playing a tight-passing game. Laughter echoed in the cold air of the Kyrgyz capital. One day after the 0-3 loss to U20 North Korea, the last thing I expected was this atmosphere. But perhaps, that is their way of facing sadness – not through heavy silence, but through forced laughter and determined ball handling in tactical drills. The context of the 2027 AFC U20 Asian Cup qualifying campaign has put U20 Vietnam in a difficult position. The 0-3 defeat to U20 North Korea in the opening match was a real shock to fans. But looking at the group, the chance is not completely closed. Palestine – the next opponent – also just suffered a 1-2 loss to Iran. That means both teams are in a must-win situation, and this match on September 3 will decide who still has hope and who must say an early goodbye. The most notable point in the U20 Vietnam squad right now is the absence of a defensive pillar. The departure of Nguyen Le Phat left a big gap in experience. The team only has Dinh Quang Kiet as the most experienced player, a single anchor in defense. Despite a poor performance against North Korea, Quang Kiet remains the most important figure. The reliance on one player is something I have seen in many youth teams, but for U20 Vietnam at this moment, it is a real gamble. In today's training session, the coaching staff urgently reinforced tactical plays. I noticed a clear change in their operation: the formation was pulled lower, the spaces between lines were narrowed, and set pieces were rehearsed over and over. This is a sign that coach Yutaka Ikeuchi wants to build a more solid style, prioritizing safety before thinking about attacking. Perhaps after the heavy defeat to North Korea, the biggest lesson they learned is: don't concede first, then everything will be different. But I want to look at the problem from a different angle. Many will say that U20 Vietnam needs to attack more strongly, to show character after the loss. However, with a squad that is not the strongest, with a defense missing a key player, pushing forward could be a double-edged sword. In youth football, the excitement after a call to attack often leads to deadly spaces behind. Palestine is not too strong an opponent, but they showed their scoring ability against Iran. A cautious match, waiting for the opponent's mistakes, might be the wiser option. Data from the match against North Korea shows U20 Vietnam created almost no dangerous chances. There are no xG or PPDA statistics in the original article, but the 0-3 scoreline reflects the opponent's complete dominance. This raises the question: does the problem lie in tactics or psychology? I lean toward both. When a young team concedes an early goal, psychology often collapses quickly, and tactics become meaningless. Therefore, the match against Palestine is not just a professional problem, but also a mental one. I have kept my promise to the stands since the first camera – every goal is a thank you. But today, I learned that there are promises that don't need goals to be kept. Coach Yutaka Ikeuchi said: "It's not over yet. We will compensate the fans with a better performance." Those words echoed in the small press conference room, but I felt the determination in every word. To me, that is the most important signal. The shock that year was not on the pitch, but in the press conference room full of male voices. In 2026 in Moscow, I learned how to stand firm among a forest of male reporters. Today, in Bishkek, I find myself in a similar situation – the only woman in a room full of men, asking tactical questions. But I no longer feel out of place. I have learned to use data as a weapon, and that is what I carry on this journey. During the pandemic, I learned to hear applause from empty stands. Today, I learned to hear determination from closed training sessions. U20 Vietnam does not have the strongest squad, does not have absolute support from fans after the loss, but they have something I believe matters most right now: the belief that it's not over yet. The match against Palestine will not decide the future of Vietnamese football, but it will decide how these young players face adversity. And that, perhaps, is more important than the ticket to the next round.