Pre-match information
At the CFA Team China 2026 friendly tournament, the U23 Vietnam coaching staff aims to focus on assessing each position, thereby building a force foundation for upcoming regional and continental tournaments.
One of the notable points is that the squad of U23 Vietnam has a lower average age compared to their opponents. Most players belong to the U21 generation, while teams like U23 China or U23 Thailand use many faces who have accumulated experience at the U23 level.
In addition, the team formation process takes place in a short time, making the connection between the lines unstable. Having only a few days of training before the tournament leads to limitations in coordination and tactical organization. However, the coaching staff considers this an opportunity to identify the problem, instead of focusing on the result factor.
In the match against Thailand and North Korea, head coach Dinh Hong Vinh proactively rotated the squad, giving opportunities to many different players. This is likely to be repeated in the match against U23 China, when the main goal is still to check the quality of personnel.
With the home team, they also have significant adjustments in force through each match. This change partly affects stability, as shown in the draw against U23 DPRK when U23 China had difficulty controlling the game.
In organizing attacks, U23 China prioritizes bringing the ball to the wing before putting it into the center or performing direct shots. This sets requirements for U23 Vietnam in maintaining team formation distance.
