The 0-3 defeat to U20 DPRK put U20 Vietnam in a difficult position in the 2027 AFC U20 Championship qualifiers.
Not only losing the advantage in the race to the top of the table, coach Yutaka Ikeuchi and his team must also pay attention to the new ranking regulations of the AFC, in which the achievements at this tournament may affect the journey of the next U20 generations.
According to the format applied by AFC, the top 8 teams in the groups and 7 second-placed teams with the best results will win the right to participate in the 2027 AFC U20 Championship finals in China. In the opposite direction, 6/8 teams at the bottom of the group with the lowest results will be transferred to the Development group.
If U20 Vietnam finishes Group C at the bottom of the group, there is a risk of not being able to participate in the 2029 AFC U20 Asian Cup qualifiers in the highest group. Instead, the team must play in the Development group to find a chance to return. In the worst case scenario, the journey back to the group qualifiers may last until the 2031 AFC U20 Asian Cup cycle.
After the first match, U20 Vietnam is at the bottom of Group C with 0 points (scoring difference -3). The defeat against U20 DPRK also made the goal of winning the top spot in the group almost impossible. However, the opportunity to continue is still there when AFC awarded tickets to 7 second-placed teams with the best results.
Therefore, the two matches against U20 Palestine and U20 Iran become decisive matches. U20 Vietnam needs to aim for maximum results to improve their position and compete for one of the seats to continue.
The opening match also showed many issues that need adjustment. The ability to deploy the ball from the lower line is not stable, the coordination between center-backs is still not smooth. In midfield, U20 Vietnam faced difficulties when being pressed by the opponent, while the passes creating opportunities for strikers were not effective enough.
The attack has also not created many connecting combinations in front of the penalty area. Quang Anh and Duc Vu are two options expected to help the team improve their attacking organization in the remaining matches.
