After more than a week of focusing on preparing for the 2026 AFC U20 Women's Championship finals, the Vietnam U20 women's team entered the next stage of the training plan with a training trip in China. Before the trip, head coach Okiyama Masahiko and midfielder Luu Hoang Van shared about the team's preparation process.
According to coach Okiyama Masahiko, after about 10 days of training, the players are maintaining a good training spirit and showing high concentration. The coaching staff and the whole team have completed about 30-40% of the planned workload. "The players are improving day by day and showing a very serious training attitude," he said.
Assessing the young players called up from the U19 tournament, the Japanese coach said that they integrated quite quickly into the team environment and grasped tactical requirements well.
“There is very healthy competition in the team to win a spot. New players are not inferior and can understand the team's tactics and philosophy, thereby creating a very good competitive environment,” coach Okiyama Masahiko shared.
According to Mr. Okiyama, opponents in the final round, especially teams with superior physique such as China, are not only strong in height but also possess speed, technique and good tactical organization. Therefore, the Vietnam U20 women's team may have to pay more attention to defense than in the qualifying round.
During the training process, the team also has training matches with the young men's team to help players regain their competitive feeling after the break, get acquainted with opponents with better physiques, and at the same time verify the content they have practiced.
Midfielder Luu Hoang Van said that the whole team is focusing on absorbing and completing tactical requirements from the coaching staff. "The preparation process is going very well. All players are focused and seriously implement the exercises set out by the coaching staff," Hoang Van shared.
Speaking about the injury situation, this midfielder said that he had been injured in the past year but has now returned to training with the whole team. "I have also tried to regain my best techniques and ball feel," Luu Hoang Van said.
According to Hoang Van, the coaching staff is developing many specialized exercises to improve the team's defense and fitness against opponents with superior physique and fitness. "I will try to work with the team to achieve common goals and I personally also have my own goals to strive for," she added.
