The power of the team
There is a conflict when evaluating the stature of U17 Vietnam. Domestic fans believe that the players born in 2008 and 2009 were chosen by coach Cristiano Roland to have better physique than the senior generation.
This is not true if based on the data released by the AFC. Accordingly, U17 Vietnam only has 6 players over 1m80 tall and half of them are goalkeepers. Vietnam's average height is only 1m74, the 3rd lowest among the 16 teams participating in the 2025 U17 Asian Cup finals.
Therefore, when talking about stature, U17 Vietnam is a "second-season" when facing the UAE, Japan and Australia. But just like the man David faced the legendary giant Goliath, the "Golden Star Warriors" showed their mettle when competing against Australia and Japan in the first two matches.
In these matches that were predicted to be difficult, U17 Vietnam all conceded goals in the first half. However, both times, coach Roland's team scored in the second half. The Brazilian strategist's substitution mark was clearly shown in the 2 goals that brought valuable draws for U17 Vietnam.
Against U17 Australia, he brought Van Bach onto the field. After only 3 minutes of presence, the striker wearing the number 11 shirt made a surprising head-to-head, opening up an opportunity that led to Duy Khang's goal later.
Facing Japan U17, coach Roland sent Gia Bao onto the field in the second half of the second half. Although not a striker who is strong in sweeping and competing, thanks to his endurance and superior strength compared to most Japanese defenders who played the ball for 90 minutes, Gia Bao made an acceleration in extra time.
The opposing defense did not have time to react in a somewhat exhausted context, and the penalty goal was the result of a suitable substitution by the U17 Vietnam coaching staff.
Know yourself, know others
At least twice in the 2 matches of U17 Vietnam, Mr. Pham Minh Duc - a coach specializing in youth training praised the home team's strategy. That is to know yourself, know others.
If they play an open game, U17 Vietnam will find it difficult to get points against Japan and Australia. The clearest evidence is the duels in midfield, when Hong Phong, Van Khanh and Nguyen Luc were all at a disadvantage compared to the other team.
Head coach Cristiano Roland knows his students' modesty in terms of qualifications, physical strength and power. That is the reason he chose to approach the majority defense for U17 Vietnam.
In the match against U17 Australia, the team played with 5 permanent defenders in the home field. When meeting U17 Japan, Vietnam even used a 6-3-1 formation, with a very tight formation in front of goalkeeper Hoa Xuan Tin's goal.
The key in the strategy of U17 Vietnam is the discipline of the players. Throughout the competition, Vietnam always maintained their position, creating a tight formation to prevent the opponent's penetrations.
Defenders of U17 Vietnam such as Hong Quang and Viet Anh were alert to neutralize each ball towards the penalty area. Meanwhile, full-backs like Duc Duy and Tan Dung always cover the upper line in a timely manner.
Discipline is the value that helps U17 Vietnam to be steadfast in the face of storms from Japan and Australia. The media and experts of the two countries also praised the persistent spirit of the "Golden Star Warriors".
However, U17 Vietnam is facing a big challenge. Gia Bao and his teammates could not just "parking the bus" to find a draw against U17 UAE. Only the victory will help U17 Vietnam win a ticket to the U17 World Cup finals. This is also the time for coach Roland to prepare another form for the home team, attack and find a goal.
