U20 Vietnam: Lessons from Defeat and Expert Warnings

I have sat at Chi Lang training ground for thirty years, witnessing generations of young players grow. But never have I seen a U20 team worry me as much as this one ahead of a decisive match. The 0-3 loss to U20 North Korea and the 1-2 defeat to U20 Palestine are not just numbers on the scoreboard. They are signals of a malfunctioning system, of a captain who has yet to find a common voice with his own ship. When I followed the U23 Vietnam team in Changzhou in 2026, I learned that youth football is not just about tactics on paper. It is about the story of people, of understanding and belief. Coach Hoang Anh Tuan, who led U23 Vietnam to the Asian U23 Championship semi-finals, always knew how to touch the hearts of his students. He understood each player like he understood his own family. Kim Sang Sik, a Korean, also did that with the national team. So why can't Ikeuchi Yutaka, a Japanese coach, do the same with U20 Vietnam? The story begins with the 2027 Asian U20 Championship qualifiers. The 0-3 loss to U20 North Korea could be explained by the superior strength of the opponent from Northeast Asia. But the 1-2 loss to U20 Palestine, a weaker opponent, is a much more serious problem. This is no longer about the strength of the opponent, but about the team losing itself. Experts, including former VFF official Duong Vu Lam, have pointed out that U20 Vietnam's coordination was not smooth, and the team seemed to have misjudged their opponents and failed to utilize their squad strengths. I remember the training sessions of the SHB Da Nang youth team in 2026, when the pandemic halted all tournaments. Coach Le Huynh Duc once told me that youth football is never just about winning or losing. It is about patience and understanding. And that is exactly what U20 Vietnam is missing. Coach Ikeuchi Yutaka, according to experts, lacks practical experience in handling situations at the U20 level. He seems not to fully understand his players, especially those who have V-League experience. Dinh Quang Kiet, a 1m95 center-back, is a typical example. He has the ideal physique, has experience playing in Vietnam's top league, but has not been used much. Tran Gia Bao and Nguyen Le Phat are also promising young players being wasted. The problem is not that they are not good enough, but that they are not placed in the right position to maximize their potential. V-League players have strong personalities, and an inexperienced coach may struggle to fit them into his tactical framework. This is a problem of human connection, not just tactics. The truth is, youth football reflects the training quality of each nation. U23 Vietnam reached the Asian U23 Championship semi-finals, U17 Vietnam won Southeast Asia, and the national team has had resounding successes. All these successes came from domestically trained players, not naturalized ones. So why can't U20 Vietnam do the same? The answer lies in the way the team operates, in the lack of connection between the coaching staff and the players. On September 6, U20 Vietnam will have a decisive match against U20 Iran. If they lose, the team will face the risk of relegation in the continental qualifiers. The consequences will be enormous, not just for the U20 team but for the entire Vietnamese youth football development. This is the time for the coaching staff to look at themselves, to find the most practical solutions. It is time for a revolution in thinking, in the way we approach young players. I still remember the words of a veteran coach in Vietnam: "Youth football is not a place to experiment with tactics, but a place to nurture talent." And to nurture talent, the teacher must understand each student. Ikeuchi Yutaka needs to quickly adapt to Vietnamese football, needs to find a common voice with the players. If not, the match against U20 Iran could be the end of a promising generation of young players. Throughout my career, I have witnessed many failures and successes of Vietnamese football. I believe that with the right adjustments, U20 Vietnam can still overcome this challenge. But time is running out. Every training session, every match is an opportunity to correct mistakes. And above all, young players need to be given opportunities, need to be trusted, need to be understood. That is the key to unlocking the door to success.