U20 Vietnam put sadness aside, determined to beat Palestine to keep Asian Cup hopes alive

On the afternoon of September 2, on the training pitch at a sports center in Hanoi, the U20 Vietnam players entered their final training session before the match against U20 Palestine. The atmosphere was somewhat subdued, in contrast to the excitement of the early days of the gathering. Everyone understood that the 0-3 defeat to U20 North Korea in the opening match had put the team in a corner. But in a closed-door meeting, head coach Yutaka Ikeuchi said only one sentence: "It's not over yet." The context ahead of the match against Palestine on the afternoon of September 3 is not comfortable. U20 North Korea showed complete superiority, while U20 Vietnam were stagnant in attack and made mistakes in defense. That defeat disappointed the fans. But what worried experts more was the absence of goalkeeper Nguyen Le Phat, considered the most important anchor in defense. His departure left a big gap in experience and leadership. Currently, center-back Dinh Quang Kiet is the most experienced player remaining. Despite his poor performance against North Korea, coach Ikeuchi still places full trust in him. Quang Kiet will be the leader of the defense, the anchor for his young teammates to lean on. However, the fact that the team has only one seasoned center-back makes the defensive puzzle more fragile than ever. According to a reporter's findings, the coaching staff has spent a lot of time in recent training sessions reinforcing tactics. The exercises mainly revolved around maintaining team shape, covering for each other, and minimizing space behind the defensive line. Coach Ikeuchi also required the midfielders to drop deep to support defense when losing the ball, instead of pushing high as in the match against North Korea. The goal is clear: do not concede first, then think about finding a goal. Not only dealing with the defense, but coach Ikeuchi's students were also asked to improve their finishing. In the match against North Korea, U20 Vietnam barely created any clear chances. This shows a lack of sharpness up front, and the coaching staff is trying to fix it with small-group combination drills and increased set-piece situations. A source inside the team said the training sessions were serious but comfortable; players were encouraged to play and relax to relieve pressure after the heavy defeat. Meanwhile, U20 Palestine are not an easy opponent. They just lost 1-2 to U20 Iran in their opener, but their performance showed good organization and a determined spirit. Palestine have players with good physicality and are quite dangerous in aerial duels. This is something U20 Vietnam's defense needs to pay special attention to. If they are not focused in set-piece situations, the home team may pay the price. According to expert calculations, the match against Palestine is almost a final for U20 Vietnam. A victory will keep the team's hopes alive of competing for a place at the 2027 AFC U20 Asian Cup, while a defeat almost certainly ends that dream right in the qualifiers. Therefore, the whole team is determined to have only one goal: to take all three points. Coach Ikeuchi emphasized that the players need to show the highest fighting spirit, play with a hot heart and a cool head. However, looking realistically, U20 Vietnam do not have the strongest squad. In addition to the absence of Nguyen Le Phat, the team is missing several other key players for various reasons. This significantly weakens the team, especially in defense. In that context, relying on an individual like Dinh Quang Kiet is inevitable, but it also carries risks if he does not have a good day. Youth football always contains surprises. Ahead of the match, observers are cautious but still place faith in the youth and desire of the U20 Vietnam players. They have impressed in regional tournaments, once making fans dream of a new golden generation. But football is not only about belief; it is also a story of numbers, of careful preparation, and of composure in every moment. The match against Palestine will be a real test of the spirit and ability of this young generation. At 15:00 this afternoon (September 3), the opening whistle will sound. The pitch does not lie. What happens on the pitch will most accurately reflect what they have prepared. Will they have enough composure to overcome the pressure, or will the sad streak continue? The answer awaits ahead.