In the afternoon of May 7 Saudi Arabia time, coach Cristiano Roland and his team had a training session in Jeddah to maintain physical condition and complete tactical plans for the next match.
The 1-0 victory over U17 Yemen significantly improved the morale of the whole team. However, the coaching staff determined that the journey at the tournament still has many challenges as the level of competition is increasing.
In the morning of the same day, coach Cristiano Roland and his colleagues held a professional meeting, reviewed video footage of the match against U17 Yemen and analyzed the playing style of U17 Korea to make appropriate adjustments.
In the afternoon training session, the players were divided into two groups. The main group competing in the match against U17 Yemen mainly performed recovery and stretching exercises, while the other group focused on physical exercises combined with tactical training.
According to coach Cristiano Roland, the whole team needs to maintain the highest concentration and readiness. The Brazilian coach assesses that the roles of the starting and reserve players are equally important, because the substitutes can make a difference at a decisive time.
After the victory over U17 Yemen, coach Cristiano Roland also encouraged his players in the dressing room, while emphasizing the fighting spirit and tactical adherence of the whole team.
He believes that U17 Vietnam still has many things to improve despite having a favorable result in the opening match. The coaching staff requested the players to quickly regain their concentration to aim for the next matches.
According to the schedule, U17 Vietnam will face U17 Korea at 11pm on May 10 (Vietnam time). This is considered a big challenge for coach Cristiano Roland and his team in the race to win tickets to the quarter-finals of the 2026 AFC U17 Championship as well as a spot to participate in the 2026 FIFA U17 World Cup.
