Vietnam U23's Journey to Nagoya: When Youth Carries Yearning and Silent Nights of Training

On flights crossing the Pacific, there is a team carrying the dreams of an entire nation. Vietnam U23 landed in Nagoya on the afternoon of September 13, where they will begin their journey at ASIAD 2026 — Asia's largest multi-sport event. But before the opening whistle sounds, I want to tell you about what's happening behind the scenes, where silent nights of training are shaping a generation that people call the future of Vietnamese football.

The opening match against Kuwait U23 on September 15 will be the first test. This is not just a match — this is the moment when the entire tournament narrative gets redefined. A positive result will lay the foundation for the journey; a defeat will transform "expectation" into "pressure" after just 90 minutes.

The First Day in the Land of Cherry Blossoms

Nagoya in early September carries a transitional beauty — the hot, humid summer has not yet fully given way to autumn's coolness. At the pre-match press conference, coach Dinh Hong Vinh made statements that were "careful but no less determined." He made no promises about medals, nor declarations about championship ambitions. Instead, he spoke about "giving maximum effort" and the immediate goal of progressing from the group stage.

"The important goal before us is to advance from the group stage, after which we will try to go deeper," coach Dinh Hong Vinh shared. In my experience following football for over 50 years, this is a slow piano melody — it's not loud but contains an entire symphony of expectation management. This staged approach to setting goals, from the group stage to subsequent rounds, is a sign of a coaching staff that understands: youth football is not the place to bet everything on a single moment.

The Japan Soccer Gawn training center in Toyota — where the team is based — received high praise from coach Dinh Hong Vinh for its facilities. "Training pitches, gym, and locker rooms all meet standards," he stated. But what caught my attention more was his next comment about weather: "Nagoya's weather is quite similar to Vietnam's rainy season, this is not a major obstacle." This is a noteworthy statement. Against the backdrop of three matches in seven days (September 15, 18, 22), hot and humid weather could become a silent enemy for teams lacking squad depth.

Leadership Structure: When the Captain is a Center-back

The most notable decision from the coaching staff wasn't about tactics or lineups, but about electing the leadership team. Pham Ly Duc — a center-back — was chosen as captain. Alongside him are three vice-captains: goalkeeper Cao Van Binh, forward Nguyen Quoc Viet, and another central midfielder.

This is a decision deeper than many realize. When the captain is a center-back — the guardian of the goal — it sends a clear message: we build from defense. In youth football, where individual errors often determine results, having a leader who deeply understands defense can be crucial psychological anchor. Cao Van Binh's presence as vice-captain is also noteworthy — it represents authority distributed at both ends of the pitch, a design common in well-organized national teams.

The presence of three vice-captains suggests a "line-distributed leadership model" — useful when a packed schedule makes rotation unavoidable. If Pham Ly Duc needs to rest in the second match, the team already has replacement leaders with pre-established authority.

Match Schedule: Blessing or Curse?

Vietnam U23's schedule in Group C is arranged in what many experts call "favorable" order: facing Kuwait (Sept 15), Philippines (Sept 18), and Uzbekistan (Sept 22). The match against Uzbekistan — assessed as the group's strongest team — is the real challenge. Placing the hardest match last is no coincidence: if Vietnam can accumulate enough points from the first two matches, the third game against Uzbekistan could become a "free hit" or at minimum, reduce the pressure to win.

This is the strategy of "beating cards before meeting the boss" — something I've witnessed in countless group stage tournaments over half a century following football. Smart teams know how to prioritize. The question is: does Vietnam U23 have enough squad depth to execute this strategy?

The Night Before the Opener

On the morning of September 14 — just one day before the Kuwait match — the coaching staff held a prolonged professional meeting. The team watched videos, analyzed opponents, and refined tactical plans. This is the standard process of modern football: preparation based on specific opponents rather than applying a fixed system. The fact that the staff has videos to analyze and a standard process for building plans shows professionalism in their work — though we cannot yet assess the actual tactical content quality.

That afternoon, the team visited the main competition venue — Toyota Stadium — to familiarize themselves with the environment. According to tournament regulations, teams are prohibited from training on the main pitch to protect grass quality. This is strict regulation at major tournaments, and compliance shows professionalism in management. But simultaneously, it reminds us: this is a completely unfamiliar environment, even though the team has had days to adapt in Nagoya.

Contrarian View: Things Unsaid

In every commentary, there are gaps — things not said but potentially more important than what is said. Regarding Vietnam U23 at ASIAD 2026, there are three notable blind spots.

First, there is no information about whether the team is using overage player slots. At ASIAD men's football, each team is permitted to register a number of players over 23 years old. Using or not using this slot is an important strategic decision — it affects the balance between experience and youthful passion.

Second, the head-to-head history against West Asian teams — especially Kuwait — shows Vietnam typically struggles against play styles with different physicality and structure compared to Southeast Asian opponents. This is not mentioned in official statements, but it's context fans need to understand to set appropriate expectations.

Third, Uzbekistan U23 — assessed as the group's strongest team — may be considered a "free hit" in terms of points planning, but it also carries the risk of a heavy defeat that could affect team morale. A devastating loss to Uzbekistan, even if it doesn't affect qualification, could create cracks in a young team's psychology.

Fans: Hearts Beating Together

I have witnessed many generations of Vietnamese fans accompanying youth teams. There is something special about how they love football: they don't just cheer for victories, they cheer for effort. A defeat full of effort still receives applause; a dull victory still gets questioned. That is how a maturing football culture treats its youth.

For Vietnam U23 in Nagoya, what are fans waiting for? In my view, they are waiting for a team that knows how to get up after falling. They are waiting for players who not only know how to chase the ball, but know how to chase dreams. And they are waiting — perhaps most quietly — for a lesson in how to accept defeat with straight shoulders.

Closing: Before Kickoff

As I write these words, Nagoya is preparing for a sleepless night with football. In a corner of the city, 23 young players are quietly preparing for the most important match of their lives — for now. They are not stars valued at millions of dollars. They are people who refused summer nights with friends to run laps around training fields, who sweated under coaches' shouts and their own gasps for breath.

Sixty million pounds is just a passing breeze, but silent nights of training — that's what remains after all transfer fevers have dissipated. And for these young men in red in Nagoya, their story hasn't begun yet. Let us wait and see whether youth can carry the dreams of an entire people, or whether those dreams are too heavy for one generation to bear.

September 15, the whistle will sound. And after that, we will know.