After the match against U23 Saudi Arabia, U23 Vietnam did not have much time to rest. The whole team quickly practiced to regenerate energy, preparing for the confrontation with U23 UAE in the quarter-finals of the 2026 AFC U23 Championship.
Sharing on the sidelines of the training session, striker Nguyen Quoc Viet said: "Towards the quarter-finals, U23 Vietnam will review the video, analyze the opponent and listen to the plans set out by the coaching staff to have the best preparation.
Quoc Viet also emphasized the competitive spirit of the players in the attack, anyone given the opportunity is ready to contribute and meet the tactical requirements of the team.
Looking back at the historic journey of U23 Vietnam at the 2018 AFC U23 Championship, Quoc Viet could not hide his excitement. At that time, the striker born in 2003 was still in Gia Lai and only watched his seniors on screen.
He expressed his desire to follow in the footsteps of the previous generation, recreate the spirit of resilient fighting and bring joy to fans. That is not only personal aspiration but also the common motivation of the entire current team.
Returning to the training session of U23 Vietnam, due to just experiencing a tense match with high intensity, the coaching staff prioritized recovery exercises for the starting group of players. Goalkeeper Trung Kien and his teammates mainly exercised lightly, relaxed their muscles and performed intensive recovery exercises.
Meanwhile, the remaining group still maintained higher training intensity, focusing on endurance, ball feel and tactical pieces built for the quarter-finals.
The quarter-final match between U23 Vietnam and U23 UAE will take place at 10:30 PM on January 16. Currently, the coaching staff is actively collecting data, analyzing the opponent's playing style to develop appropriate plans. U23 Vietnam's goal is to overcome the opponent and extend the memorable journey at the 2026 AFC U23 Championship.
