Viet Tri, 31 August 2026 – Despite Vietnam U20 suffering a 3-0 defeat to North Korea U20 in their opening match of the AFC U20 Asian Cup 2027 Qualifiers, head coach Yutaka Ikeuchi remains optimistic about his team’s chances of progressing.
Following the disappointing result in their Group C opener, the Japanese coach acknowledged that Vietnam showed shortcomings in experience, defensive awareness and their ability to maintain balance after halftime. However, he stressed that the qualifying campaign is far from over, with two matches still remaining.
Reflecting on the match, Ikeuchi believed Vietnam largely executed their tactical plan successfully during the opening 45 minutes.
The hosts adopted a cautious approach, prioritising defensive stability while waiting for opportunities to counterattack. The strategy worked reasonably well as Vietnam kept North Korea scoreless until the interval.
“In the first half, I think the whole team played according to our initial plan. We were slightly more defensive and waited for opportunities to counterattack. Although we were unable to turn those opportunities into a goal, defensively the players performed relatively well,” Ikeuchi said.
However, the match changed dramatically after the restart as North Korea scored three unanswered goals.
According to Ikeuchi, the second-half collapse exposed the relative lack of competitive experience among his young players.
After conceding twice in quick succession, Vietnam became increasingly impatient and pushed more players forward in an attempt to respond. That approach left the team unable to maintain the positional balance they had shown during the first half.
“Conceding two goals in quick succession made the players impatient. We pushed higher up the pitch to attack and lost our balance,” Ikeuchi explained.
Ikeuchi highlights Lack of match experience
While physical condition also played a role, Ikeuchi does not believe fatigue alone was responsible for Vietnam’s second-half difficulties.
Instead, he pointed to a combination of declining defensive concentration, individual mistakes and a lack of competitive match experience.
Many members of the Vietnam U20 squad have yet to regularly play full 90-minute matches for their clubs. According to Ikeuchi, the lack of exposure to high-intensity competitive football makes it more difficult for young players to maintain concentration and tactical organisation throughout an entire match.
The defeat leaves Vietnam in a difficult position in the race for qualification, but Ikeuchi insists his side are not out of contention.
His coaching staff will now review the North Korea match in detail, identifying what worked and what needs to be corrected before Vietnam return to action.
“Of course, it is not over yet, so we will prepare very carefully for the next matches. The important thing now is to review and summarise what we did well today and what we were unable to do.”
Vietnam’s coaching staff will also work closely with their analysis department to study their remaining opponents, Palestine U20 and Iran U20, before determining the appropriate tactical approach for each match.
Ikeuchi will also have to reconsider his personnel options, with Nguyen Le Phat set to return to his club for V.League duties, meaning the midfielder will no longer be available for the remainder of Vietnam’s qualifying campaign.
‘We still have a chance’
Ikeuchi also expressed his disappointment at being unable to deliver a positive result for the large number of Vietnamese supporters who attended the match at Viet Tri Stadium.
The Japanese coach apologised to the fans and promised that his players would continue fighting until their qualification fate is decided.
“The tournament is not over yet. We still have opportunities ahead of us, and we will prepare as well as possible with the aim of winning our remaining two matches,” Ikeuchi stressed.
Vietnam must now quickly recover from their opening defeat as they attempt to revive their AFC U20 Asian Cup 2027 qualification hopes in their final two Group C fixtures.
VSN/RPT
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