Coach Dinh Hong Vinh and his team set a goal to get past the group stage and aim for the quarter-finals.
U23 Vietnam took flight VN348 from Vietnam to Japan. After about 7 hours of travel, the team landed at Chubu Centrair International Airport (Nagoya) at about 7 am on September 13.
After completing entry procedures and receiving luggage, the team members returned to the hotel to rest. The preparation time for the opening match is not much, because U23 Vietnam will meet U23 Kuwait at 5 pm on September 15th at Nagoya City Minato Soccer stadium.
On September 13, the team is expected to have their first training session in Japan for the players to get acquainted with weather conditions, pitch surface and playing space. One day later, the whole team will have an official training session at Nagoya City Stadium, where the match against U23 Kuwait takes place.
Short preparation time is one of the challenges for U23 Vietnam. Some players only gather fully after completing their tasks in round 2 of the V.League and First Division. However, the team has had a professional preparation process at the Vietnam Youth Football Training Center before leaving.
At ASIAD 20, U23 Vietnam is in a group with U23 Uzbekistan, U23 Kuwait and U23 Philippines. After the opening match against U23 Kuwait, the team will face U23 Philippines at 1:30 PM on September 18, before closing the group stage with a clash with U23 Uzbekistan at 12:00 PM on September 22.
The goal determined by U23 Vietnam is to win the right to enter the quarter-finals. This is not an easy task when the group has the participation of U23 Uzbekistan - an opponent highly appreciated for professional quality.
However, U23 Vietnam entered ASIAD 20 with considerable confidence. The team is on a 16-match winning streak in the last 17 matches. During this period, U23 Vietnam has defeated many strong opponents such as South Korea, UAE, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.
Notably, in December 2025, U23 Vietnam once overcame U23 Thailand right at Rajamangala Stadium in the SEA Games 33 final. Those results helped the team accumulate more experience and bravery against top continental opponents.
In ASIAD history, the best achievement of Vietnamese football is fourth place at ASIAD 18 in 2018. At the most recent ASIAD, U23 Vietnam did not pass the group stage.
With a force prepared for a long time, along with specific goals, U23 Vietnam will aim to achieve favorable results right in the opening match to create an advantage in the race to win tickets to the quarter-finals of ASIAD 20.
