U.17 Vietnam decisive battle

After a 0-0 draw with U.17 Kyrgyzstan on the opening day, U.17 Vietnam is currently ranked second in Group I of the 2025 AFC U-17 Championship qualifiers. At Phu Tho Stadium on the evening of October 23, the home team created many opportunities, but could not score to take all 3 points. The ability to finish has become a concern that coach Cristiano Roland and his students must overcome.

In the second round, U.17 Vietnam will face U.17 Myanmar. The match will take place at 7:00 p.m. today (October 25) at Phu Tho Stadium. In the early match at 4:00 p.m., U.17 Kyrgyzstan will face U.17 Yemen.

U.17 Myanmar lost 1-6 to U.17 Yemen in the opening match of Group I. The Southeast Asian representative made many mistakes in defense, from marking, one-on-one battles to counterattacks. Despite having a good technical foundation and an aggressive playing style, U.17 Myanmar lacked certainty and discipline. This is also a familiar appearance of Myanmar youth teams when entering the Asian playground.

“It’s a pity that the goal did not come to U.17 Vietnam. My young players played fast, trying to control the match. However, U.17 Kyrgyzstan did not let us play the ball. Therefore, we created many chances but could not score.

However, the U.17 Vietnam players are still young, each match is a lesson for the players to mature. In the future, the players need to have better performances", Mr. Roland commented after the draw of U.17 Vietnam.

Be careful

However, U.17 Vietnam is unlikely to have an easy victory over U.17 Myanmar. After losing heavily on the opening day, this team needs a "face-washing" match to regain their reputation. The last time the two teams met was in the 2024 Southeast Asian U.16 tournament, when U.16 Vietnam won 3-1 against U.16 Myanmar to get a ticket to the semi-finals. However, with youth football, each meeting can be a completely different match.

U.17 Myanmar may lose to a West Asian team. But against a Southeast Asian neighbor who knows how to play, coach Aung Zaw Myo and his students will become a tough obstacle. U.17 Vietnam was also pushed into a difficult situation, when they only won 1 point against U.17 Kyrgyzstan in the opening match. If they continue to stumble, the chance to advance for coach Roland and his team will be closed.

With both teams having no way back, tonight’s match will be unpredictable. However, with home field advantage, superior squad and a controlled style of play that has been “formulated” over the past few months, U.17 Vietnam is capable of keeping 3 points at Phu Tho Stadium to continue the race with U.17 Yemen.