U17 Vietnam lost 1-2 to U18 Ehime, ending training session
Nguyen Hiep Dai's 89th-minute goal only helped U17 Vietnam narrow the gap to 1-2 against U18 Ehime. The final friendly match in Ehime highlighted progress in transition, but also exposed gaps when pushing the team up.
Vietnam U17 ended their training trip in Ehime Prefecture (Japan) with a 1-2 defeat against Ehime U18 on the afternoon of November 13, local time. Nguyen Hiep Dai scored in the 89th minute, but it was not enough to save a match in which the opponent from the next generation of Ehime FC (J.League 2) exploited the gaps when Vietnam advanced.
Key developments: Ehime's efficiency, Vietnam's late effort
Coach Cristiano Roland continued to rotate his squad to test his squad in the third and final friendly match in Japan. Both teams entered the match at a high speed. U17 Vietnam maintained a good formation distance, organizing a number of quality counter-attacks despite facing an opponent that was considered to be superior.
In the 34th minute, U18 Ehime opened the score 1-0. From a dangerous cross from the right wing, goalkeeper Xuan Hoa blocked the first shot but could not stop the rebound.
Second half: pushing up the formation and the price of space
After the break, U17 Vietnam proactively raised their formation, putting pressure on the opponent's field. The initiative brought more opportunities, but also brought risks. In the 70th minute, U18 Ehime took advantage of the space behind the Vietnamese defense to counterattack quickly, raising the score to 2-0.
Not giving up, coach Cristiano Roland's team continued to maintain the attacking rhythm. In the 89th minute, Nguyen Hiep Dai seized the opportunity in the penalty area, finishing to shorten the score to 1-2. The remaining time was not enough for U17 Vietnam to find an equalizer.
Tactical angle: distance is kept, transition needs to be sharper
In the context of testing the formation, U17 Vietnam showed quite good positional and distance discipline in the opening stage, thanks to which they created some quality counter-attacks. In the second half, the decision to push the formation higher helped Vietnam to be more proactive in terms of territory, but the opponent effectively exploited the space behind with quick transition situations.
The match highlighted two key points for the final stage: the ability to withstand pressure when the team is stretched and the accuracy in the final ball when changing state. These are the factors that the coaching staff is aiming for ahead of the 2026 AFC U17 Championship Qualifiers.
Selected statistics
- Score: U17 Vietnam 1-2 U18 Ehime
- Goals: 34' U18 Ehime 1-0 (rebound after goalkeeper Xuan Hoa's save); 70' U18 Ehime 2-0 (quick counter-attack); 89' Nguyen Hiep Dai 1-2
- Time/Place: November 13 afternoon local time, Ehime prefecture, Japan
- Nature: friendly; third and final match of the training camp
- Opponent: U18 Ehime is the successor of Ehime FC - the club currently playing in J.League 2
Impact and next plans
Although the result was not good, this was a valuable test with a strong "blue army", helping U17 Vietnam accumulate experience in pressure resistance, transition and attack organization. The team will have one more day of training before ending the training trip, returning home on November 15 and entering the final preparation stage for the 2026 AFC U17 Qualifiers, scheduled to take place from November 22 to 30, 2025 in Hanoi and Hung Yen.