Assessing the preparation process, the Brazilian coach said that the team had gone through a short but effective training period, with high concentration of the whole team.
After a short but effortful preparation period, we have completed the final steps and have a thorough analysis of the group. The opening match with Malaysia will be very difficult because they are a heavy opponent. However, our philosophy is to prepare for each match one by one and consider each match as a final to fight our best," coach Roland emphasized.
Sharing about the force, coach Cristiano Roland especially emphasized the collective factor instead of relying on individuals. According to him, the current U17 Vietnam squad possesses many players with good professional quality, capable of creating breakthroughs, but the most important thing is still cohesion and team spirit. "I don't want to emphasize any specific individuals because all of them have abilities. Fans can follow and self-assess their progress in the future," he said.
Regarding the goals in the upcoming period, coach Cristiano Roland said that the team will successively conquer each tournament, initially the 2026 Southeast Asian U17 Championship, then aim for the 2026 AFC U17 Championship. The squad framework continues to be built on the foundation of players who have played successfully in the qualifiers, combined with some new faces who are quickly integrating.
We will focus maximally on each tournament, starting from Southeast Asia to create the best foothold for the continental arena," he affirmed.
Commenting on the development of the current generation of players compared to last year, coach Cristiano Roland assessed that the players have made clear progress in individual skills as well as coordination ability. The current squad is assessed to have better synchronization and connection between positions, while the fighting spirit and desire to contribute are still maintained at a high level. "I have great faith in that the players can go further," he shared.
Referring to some typical individuals such as Quang Khoi, coach Cristiano Roland said that young players all possess remarkable potential, but to affirm their position at the national team level, technical factors need to go hand in hand with tactical thinking and physical foundation. "Quang Khoi needs to continue to strive and focus more to develop comprehensively in the future," he said.
Towards a further goal, the Brazilian strategist emphasized that U17 Vietnam will approach the tournament with the highest determination. According to him, small details in the competition such as the ability to adapt to field conditions or match equipment can also affect the overall result.
We are not afraid of any opponent and will always play with courage. The goal is to go as far as possible to compete for a World Cup ticket," coach Cristiano Roland affirmed.
According to the plan, tomorrow (April 10), U17 Vietnam will depart for Indonesia to participate in the 2026 Southeast Asian U17 Championship, taking place from April 11 to April 23.
