U23 Vietnam participates in the CFA Team China 2026 tournament with the main goal of personnel testing and tactical testing, instead of focusing on results. Acting head coach Dinh Hong Vinh is assigned the task of reviewing the force, thereby selecting a suitable framework for the upcoming important tournaments.
In the past 2 matches, the coaching staff has continuously rotated the squad to assess players' abilities. Therefore, in the match against U23 China, it is likely that U23 Vietnam will continue to experiment. Some positions that have not played, especially reserve goalkeepers, may be given opportunities to play.
Compared to opponents in the same group, U23 Vietnam has a certain difference in age and experience. Most of the current squad includes many players under 21 years old, while U23 Thailand, U23 China and U23 North Korea use forces of the right age.
Besides, the team only had limited preparation time before leaving for China, leading to not really smooth coordination. The errors in the playing style are understandable in the team formation stage.
On the other side, U23 China also took advantage of the tournament to experiment. In the match against U23 North Korea, the home team changed many positions compared to the opening match, making the playing style unstable and having to rely on penalties to keep 1 point. However, overall, they still possess a good professional foundation.
U23 China's playing style leans towards quick ball development situations from their own half, using long balls combined with deployments on the flanks and in the center. Notably, captain striker Yuwang Xiang is a prominent factor with his ability to move and finish effectively in the area in front of the goal.
The match between U23 Vietnam and U23 China will take place at 6:35 PM on March 31.
