Pre-match information
U19 Vietnam will officially enter the journey at the 2026 Southeast Asian U19 Championship with a match against U19 Timor Leste. This is the team's first international tournament this year, and also an important preparation step towards the 2027 AFC U20 Championship qualifiers at the end of August.
In the process of preparation, coach Yutaka Ikeuchi and his team had 10 days of training in Japan. The team played friendly matches with U20, U22 teams of the university system and team B of Shimizu S-Pulse club to improve their playing style, check forces and accumulate international competition experience.
However, U19 Vietnam does not have the strongest force when many important players are absent. Personnel shortages partly affect the strength of the team. However, this is also an opportunity for other young faces to show their abilities and compete for positions in the squad.
In the opening match, U19 Timor Leste is considered an evenly matched opponent. Although they have lost many times to Vietnam in the past, this team has made significant progress in recent years, especially in terms of organization and fitness.
Group A also has the participation of host U19 Indonesia and U19 Myanmar, making the semi-final ticket race unpredictable. Therefore, U19 Vietnam needs to aim for a favorable result right from the first match to create an advantage in the race to win the top spot in the group.
With a higher-rated professional foundation and a relatively thorough preparation process, U19 Vietnam is expected to have a favorable start at this year's tournament.
