Coach Cristiano Roland: “U17 Kyrgyzstan tried to disrupt U17 Vietnam’s tactics.”

Coach Cristiano Roland expressed regret after U17 Vietnam failed to capitalize on their opportunities and could not secure a victory in their opening match of the 2025 AFC U17 Asian Cup qualifiers. Despite playing on home turf, U17 Vietnam was held to a 0-0 draw by U17 Kyrgyzstan, a match where Roland’s squad missed several chances, especially in the second half.

Speaking to the media post-game, Cristiano Roland said, “I’m very disappointed that the goal didn’t come for U17 Vietnam today. My players tried to play fast, they tried to control the game. However, our opponents just focused on disrupting our play. Even though we had the ball a lot and created chances, we couldn’t score. Games like this are opportunities for the players to grow.”

Roland emphasized the importance of taking it one game at a time, saying, “We need to focus on each match right now. I don’t want to assess who is better or the best in the squad at this point. Every player has potential and will have the opportunity to showcase their talent during this tournament.”

On the other side, Kyrgyzstan U17 coach Igor Nikitin shared his perspective, stating, “We thoroughly studied U17 Vietnam, knowing they are a tough opponent with good speed. That’s why we focused on preventing them from playing to their strengths. We had a long training camp in Vietnam before the tournament started, so we’ve adapted well to the weather here, which helped in our preparation.”

Nikitin added, “Instead of attacking, we focused more on defense, and that allowed us to keep a clean sheet. I’m a bit disappointed that we couldn’t take advantage of our counter-attacking opportunities, but at the same time, U17 Vietnam also failed to convert their chances.”

The draw leaves both teams looking for their first win in the next matches of the group stage. U17 Vietnam will face Myanmar U17 in their second group match on October 25.

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