The Vietnam U17 team has written a page in history when winning a ticket to the FIFA U17 World Cup 2026 after a convincing journey at the Asian Cup.
Fans highly appreciate the philosophy of coach Cristiano Roland, about the explosion of young talents, but for experts, the current achievement also has the contribution of silent "boat drivers", accepting to step back to be a solid launching pad for the team.
Boss Do Quang Hien and T&T Group have sacrificed many things for the great dream of domestic football.
Golden "links" and silent sacrifices behind
The success of U17 Vietnam is a combination of many famous training academies, but the mark of Hanoi/T&T in coach Roland's framework is undeniable. With 6 players participating, Hanoi/T&T and PVF are the 2 units contributing the largest number of troops.
However, the value that Bau Hien's system brings is not only quantity, but also keyness in each position.
Bau Hien's "children" such as Chu Ngoc Nguyen Luc, Dao Quy Vuong, Tran Hoang Viet or Tran Manh Quan show perseverance - a characteristic in Hanoi FC's youth training, to prove their qualities and bravery in difficult times.
But to make Roland and his students the surface in the smooth operation of U17 Vietnam, Bau Hien and T&T Group had to accept large "stales" in personnel at the club.
Roland and 2 assistants Nguyen Dai Dong and Le Sy Phuong are all key personnel in the youth training system of Hanoi/T&T. The fact that they have focused all their strength on the national team for the past 2 years means that the youth teams at the club have to face disruptions in training work.
In particular, Mr. Roland and assistant Dai Dong are directly shaping the U19 T&T generation - the pivotal stage of a player. Letting their best experts leave to perform national duties, while maintaining a full remuneration and salary regime, is not a small sacrifice.
Sacrificing local interests to aim for national interests, not everywhere is willing to implement it.
Building a foundation from culture and patience
Looking at the operation of the U17 team under Roland, people see a playing style with identity, synchronization, solidity and good mentality. Of course, that stability stems from the perception of the common "football language" that the players and coaching staff at Hanoi/T&T and the long training days.
Bau Hien does not do football in the style of "building a house from the roof". He chooses to invest in people and build a sustainable ecosystem. At Hanoi FC, players not only learn to play football, they learn about loyalty and awareness of identity.
The honors for Van Quyet (350 matches) or Do Hung Dung (300 matches) are a message of loyalty and inheritance. When young players see their seniors being cherished as "living legacies", they have more motivation to contribute and stick together.
The "culture" of that club has created players with different organizational thinking and competitive bravery. T&T's young players when they join the national team do not take too much time to catch up, because they have been trained in a professional environment and have high discipline from a young age.
This is a fundamental contribution, not appearing on the scoreboard but is a decisive factor in the success or failure of an entire system.
Kien Nhan is another type of sacrifice of Bau Hien. Doing youth football is a process of "burning money" and the results sometimes take decades to be harvested.
In the context that many teams can dissolve or cut investment at any time, the stability of the T&T training system over the years is a guarantee for the future of Vietnamese football. Not ostentatious, not making big statements, but the success of the national team generations is proof of their contributions.
U17 Vietnam's World Cup ticket is a sweet gift for fans. And it is also a worthy achievement for deep football thinking, dedication and silent sacrifices.
