The 2026 AFC U17 Championship finals are counting down day by day, U17 Vietnam is also racing against time to adapt to weather conditions, time zones differences as well as get used to the fields in Saudi Arabia.
Most U17 Vietnam players in the list chosen by coach Cristiano Roland are still unfamiliar with the continental tournament. But not Nguyen Van Duong or Chu Ngoc Nguyen Luc, because they once accompanied their seniors on the journey at last year's Asian tournament.
Compared to 1 year ago, Van Duong has made remarkable progress. The player born in 2009 is the main "goal scorer" of U17 Vietnam at the 2026 U17 Southeast Asian Championship finals with 6 goals. Good finishing ability with both feet, and sudden handling technique help Van Duong become a promising face in the squad.
One noteworthy point is that Van Duong was not as outstanding as many contemporaries at PVF Center before. Also entering the "furnace" with Van Duong at that time were Nguyen Ngoc Anh Hao and Nguyen Huynh Dang Khoa - the main defenders of Vietnam U17 currently.
About a few months later, Le Sy Bach and Truong Nguyen Duy Khang joined PVF after ending their contracts with the local unit. Meanwhile, in mid-2022, goalkeeper Ly Xuan Hoa was additionally selected.
In the group of PVF players who are currently in U17 Vietnam, Sy Bach had the smoothest start. As soon as he entered the center, this striker showed his playing skills, from speed, breakthrough ability and confidence in playing. That is why even at the 2022 National U13 Championship, Bach was in the group of 11 starting players.
In the opposite direction, at that time, Van Duong was rarely mentioned, even being in the area where he might have to say goodbye to PVF Center at any time. However, persistence and effort helped Van Duong gain momentum afterwards.
2024 witnessed Van Duong's great boost when he became the top scorer of the National U15 Championship and helped PVF win the tournament. From then on, coach Cristiano Roland began to pay attention to him, before giving him an early opportunity to join Vietnam U17, participating in the AFC U17 Championship in Saudi Arabia 1 year ago.
The image of Van Duong's outstanding progress, Sy Bach showing his qualities, or Xuan Hoa, Anh Hao, Dang Khoa growing up day by day, is a source of pride for PVF Center.
After moving the location from the South to Hung Yen, PVF continued to train new faces of the 2007-2008 and 2009 generations.
Examples include Nguyen Le Phat (born in 2007) who just won a bronze medal with U23 Vietnam at the 2026 AFC U23 Championship; striker Hoang Trong Duy Khang (born in 2008) who impressed at the 2025 AFC U17 Championship finals; or currently Nguyen Van Duong - Mr. Roland's great hope on the journey towards the World Cup dream.
