What does U.17 Vietnam need to beat U.17 UAE and win a ticket to the World Cup?

MUST WIN…

U.17 Vietnam had two commendable draws against the strongest opponents of youth football in the continent, U.17 Australia and U.17 Japan, with the same score of 1-1. Tran Gia Bao's golden goal against U.17 Japan in the final minutes of extra time helped coach Cristiano Roland and his team keep the right to decide. After the first two matches, U.17 Japan ranked first in Group B with 4 points (goal difference +3), U.17 UAE ranked second with 3 points (goal difference -1), U.17 Vietnam ranked third with 2 points (goal difference 0), U.17 Australia ranked last in the group with 1 point (goal difference -2). The situation in Group B is very attractive, as all four teams still have a chance to continue, before the final match takes place on April 10. In which, U.17 Vietnam only has one choice, which is to defeat U.17 UAE to win a ticket to the quarter-finals of the U.17 Asian tournament currently competing in Saudi Arabia, and at the same time participate in the U.17 World Cup 2025 taking place in November in Qatar.

The U.17 Vietnam team (8) will participate in the U.17 World Cup for the first time if they defeat the U.17 UAE team.

PHOTO: VFF

Up to now, the U.17 Vietnam players have proven their mettle, as coach Roland emphasized after the draw with the defending champion: "We have talked a lot about the unyielding spirit of the U.17 Vietnam team, so I will not mention it anymore. In terms of expertise, I see that no player does not understand the tactical intention. The whole team plays according to the preparation of the coaching staff, is very disciplined and tries hard to the end". The performance of U.17 Vietnam in the continental arena once again affirms the correctness and effectiveness of the philosophy that Mr. Roland is pursuing and has worked hard to nurture for the team. Facing the powerful attack of U.17 Australia, or the players with excellent technique and speed of U.17 Japan, the U.17 Vietnam defense system, despite conceding the first goal, did not falter. Defensive play is the forte of coach Roland and his team at the moment. However, in the context of having to win against U.17 UAE, how will U.17 Vietnam approach the match?

Be cautious but be more explosive

According to commentator Vu Quang Huy, U.17 Vietnam needs to continue to promote its strengths of calmness, high concentration throughout the match and especially patience when entering the decisive match with U.17 UAE. When drawing lots to divide the group, U.17 UAE was in group 4 (lowest seed), but the West Asian team was still rated higher than the Vietnamese players. "U.17 UAE is above U.17 Vietnam, both in terms of physical strength and technique. This was proven when the West Asian representative defeated another strong team, U.17 Australia, with a score of 2-0. U.17 Vietnam needs to beat U.17 UAE to be able to continue. However, U.17 Vietnam cannot be hasty but needs to be steadfast in their playing style, playing with awareness of the opponent and themselves as they have shown."

Waiting for good news from Vietnam U.17 team

Mr. Huy added: "U.17 Vietnam is extremely cautious against Australia and Japan. When meeting U.17 UAE, U.17 Vietnam players also need to be cautious, prioritizing solid defense but will have to be more flexible, depending on each moment of the match. U.17 Vietnam also has to be more explosive in attack, because they need to score to win. In continental tournaments, each match is a valuable lesson, helping young players accumulate a lot of experience. The mettle of U.17 Vietnam players has been tempered and improved day by day, after minutes of intense competition and under great pressure. Therefore, it can be expected that U.17 Vietnam will operate more smoothly and have a good performance in the final match of the group stage against U.17 UAE". On the other hand, U.17 UAE is certainly also determined to win against U.17 Vietnam to take all 3 points, thereby deciding their own fate. Because if they draw with U.17 Vietnam, whether U.17 UAE can continue to the Asian quarter-finals and win a ticket to the U.17 World Cup 2025 or not depends on the result of the remaining match between U.17 Japan and U.17 Australia.