U19 Southeast Asia 2026 is the first international tournament of U19 Vietnam in 2026. This is considered an important warm-up step for the U20 Asian Cup qualifiers in late August.
After more than a month of concentration and training, coach Yutaka Ikeuchi and his team are ready to embark on a journey to conquer the regional playground with the opening match against U19 Timor Leste.
To prepare for the tournament, U19 Vietnam has gathered from the end of April at the Vietnam Youth Football Training Center. In addition to the domestic training process, the team also has a 10-day training trip in Japan. This is considered a pivotal stage for the coaching staff to assess player capacity, improve playing style and improve adaptability to international competition intensity.
During the training period, U19 Vietnam continuously had friendly matches with young Japanese teams, including U20, U22 teams of the university system and team B of Shimizu S-Pulse club. These matches helped players accumulate more playing experience, creating a basis for Mr. Yutaka Ikeuchi to choose the most suitable squad for the tournament in Indonesia.
However, the preparation process of U19 Vietnam is not entirely favorable. The team is missing many key players due to injuries or being busy playing for managing clubs.
Midfielder Tran Dac Loc cannot participate due to injury; Dinh Quang Kiet, Tran Gia Bao (Hoang Anh Gia Lai), Nguyen Le Phat (Ninh Binh), Le Van Hoan (Dong A Thanh Hoa) play in V.League; overseas Vietnamese player Pham Anh Khoi continues to miss appointment due to not recovering from ligament injuries...
Personnel losses have somewhat affected the strength of U19 Vietnam. However, looking at it from a positive perspective, this is an opportunity for many young faces to affirm their abilities and find positions in the main squad.
In the opening match, U19 Vietnam's opponent is U19 Timor Leste. Looking at the past head-to-head record, Vietnam is absolutely dominant. However, Southeast Asian youth football in recent years has witnessed a significant narrowing in the level gap. Timor Leste is no longer an easy team to beat as they have made certain progress in terms of physical strength, playing style organization and competitiveness.
Besides, Group A also has the presence of U19 Indonesia and U19 Myanmar, making the race to win tickets to the semi-finals very tense. Therefore, the goal of U19 Vietnam is not only to win but also to create an advantage right from the first matches.
With careful preparation and a higher-rated professional foundation, U19 Vietnam is expected to have a favorable start, although they will certainly face many challenges on the road ahead.
Expected lineup:
U19 Vietnam: Bao Ngoc; Hoang Nam, Quoc Khanh, Viet Anh, Xuan Khai, Quang Anh, Duc Vu, Hong Phong, Thien Phu, Van Bach, Manh Dung.
U19 Timor Leste: Domigos; Rui Juman, Carol Waitila, Aureo Viera, Emidio Santos; Jonerson, Quiton, Carvalho, Corsino Lemos, Canavaro, Guterrers.
