In the early morning of March 23 (local time), the Vietnam U23 team arrived in Xi'an (China), after a journey from Hanoi and transit in Guangzhou.
As soon as they arrived, the whole team was supported by the host country's organizers to complete the procedures and quickly move back to the hotel.
Having just gone through a night flight, the players are arranged to rest to recover their fitness before entering the first training session this afternoon. The content of the training session mainly helps members get acquainted with weather conditions, the field as well as the rhythm of life at the competition venue.
According to the plan, U23 Vietnam will participate in the CFA Team China – Xi'an 2026 international friendly tournament with 3 matches respectively against U23 DPRK (March 25), U23 Thailand (March 28) and U23 China (March 31). This is an opportunity for the coaching staff to test the force and assess the team's tactical operation ability.
Regarding personnel, head coach Dinh Hong Vinh said that the U23 Vietnam squad is a combination of players who have international competition experience and young faces who are in the process of development.
Some players such as Cao Van Binh, Nguyen Cong Phuong or Le Van Thuan continue to participate, while many players of the U21 generation are given opportunities to prepare for long-term goals, including ASIAD 20.
Notably, overseas Vietnamese midfielder Antonio Moric is not on the list to go to China. The coaching staff affirmed that this is a pre-calculated adjustment, suitable for this player's development path. Moric was previously called up to train with U23 Vietnam to check his ability, then returned to the U19 team to continue training.
From a professional perspective, the tournament in Tay An is considered an important preparation step for the long-term plans of Vietnamese football. Through playing against opponents with different levels and styles, the coaching staff has more basis to improve the squad, and at the same time create conditions for players to accumulate international competition experience.
