Saudi Arabia, 16 May 2026 – Defensive mistakes and Australia’s tactical adjustments proved costly as Vietnam suffered a 0-3 defeat in the quarter-finals of the AFC U17 Asian Cup 2026.
Vietnam U17 entered the match at King Abdullah Sports City with nearly the same starting lineup used throughout their previous six official matches. Australia, meanwhile, made eight changes from the side that lost 1-2 to Vietnam in the semi-finals of the ASEAN U17 Championship back in April.
Coach Carl Veart retained only central defender Miles Milliner, midfielder Sajjad Nasiri, and Oliver O’Carroll from that defeat. Australia’s attack was led by Max Court, the Vietnamese-Australian forward, alongside Georgio Hassarati, who arrived as the top scorer of the ASEAN U17 tournament.
The match quickly showed that Australia had learned valuable lessons from their earlier loss in Indonesia. Instead of rushing forward recklessly, the Australians remained patient in possession, kept defensive numbers organized to stop Vietnam’s counter-attacks, and successfully limited the influence of playmaker Chu Ngoc Nguyen Luc.
Another key factor was goalkeeper Charlie Wilson-Papps. The Brighton academy product brought calmness and composure to Australia’s build-up play from the back. Meanwhile, the back three and midfield duo of Oliver O’Carroll and Sajjad Nasiri consistently escaped Vietnam’s pressing and created dangerous attacking situations.
Australia threatened early. In the 13th minute, Henrique Oliveira cut inside from the left and fired narrowly wide at the near post. Five minutes later, Max Court sent his shot over the crossbar, while Georgio Hassarati tested goalkeeper Ly Xuan Hoa with a low curling effort in the 32nd minute.
Australia also made full use of their physical advantage, with an average height roughly five centimeters taller than Vietnam. Set-pieces became a major weapon. In the fifth minute, Max Court nearly scored with a header after goalkeeper Ly Xuan Hoa misjudged a corner kick. The breakthrough finally arrived in the 40th minute when a long throw-in caused chaos inside the Vietnamese penalty area. Oliveira headed the ball across goal for Oliver O’Carroll to calmly finish from close range and make it 1-0.
Despite struggling for long periods, Vietnam still managed to expose gaps in Australia’s defense and produced 15 shots throughout the game. However, poor finishing prevented them from capitalizing. In the 23rd minute, Nguyen Van Duong dribbled inside and set up Le Sy Bach, but Milliner recovered in time to block the effort. Similar opportunities followed, with Sy Bach, Tran Manh Quan, and Trieu Dinh Vy all unable to convert clear chances.
While Vietnam pushed forward searching for an equalizer, they were punished again in the 60th minute. Max Court floated a pass behind the Vietnamese defense, and Hassarati cleverly disrupted Nguyen Huynh Dang Khoa before slotting the ball through goalkeeper Ly Xuan Hoa’s legs to double the lead.
Australia sealed the result in the 75th minute when Vietnam’s crowded defense was cut open by a quick one-two combination through the middle, allowing Akeem Gerald to finish clinically into the far corner.
The 0-3 defeat ended Vietnam’s impressive AFC U17 Asian Cup 2026 campaign at the quarter-final stage. Coach Cristiano Roland’s side finished the tournament with two wins and two defeats, scoring five goals while conceding nine. Heavy losses against South Korea and Australia exposed weaknesses the team must address ahead of the FIFA U17 World Cup in Qatar this November.
Australia, meanwhile, reached the semi-finals of the AFC U17 Asian Cup for the fourth time after previous appearances in 2010, 2014, and 2018. They will face China on May 20 in the next round.
The other semi-final will feature Japan against Uzbekistan, who eliminated South Korea after a dramatic 2-2 draw followed by a 5-3 penalty shootout victory.
VSN/RPT
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