The Vietnam U17 national soccer team, which has qualified for the FIFA U17 World Cup for the first time, has begun its training camp in South Korea. The team plans to enhance its tactical execution and organization through three friendly matches, including one against the South Korean U17 team, ahead of next month's World Cup finals.
According to the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF), the team, led by head coach Cristiano Rolando, started its 10-day training camp in South Korea with its first session on October 19 in Cheonan, Chungnam Province. The players arrived in South Korea that morning, settled into their accommodations, and immediately began training. The first session took place in cool weather with an average temperature of about 15 degrees Celsius. The players continued their training program prepared in Vietnam, assessing their physical condition and engaging in tactical drills.
Coach Rolando is focusing on refining the team's gameplay and strengthening positional play and organization during this training camp. He is particularly emphasizing coordination during transitions between offense and defense, aiming to improve the players' adaptability to real-game situations.
A key component of this training camp is the friendly matches against South Korean youth teams. According to the schedule released by the VFF, the Vietnam U17 team will play its first match against FC Seoul's U17 team on October 21. This will be followed by a match against Cheonan City FC's U17 team on October 26, and a final game against the South Korean U17 national team on October 28.
The match against the South Korean U17 team is considered a crucial test during this training camp. It will allow the Vietnamese players to gauge their performance against a high-level youth soccer team in Asia and gain valuable experience needed for international competitions.
The coaching staff plans to evaluate the players' tactical execution and individual skills through these three matches. They will also assess adaptability to game speed, positional movements, and the level of coordination among players.
Prior to their visit to South Korea, the Vietnam U17 team underwent over a month of training camp in their home country. During this period, the players focused on enhancing their physical fitness and endurance while refining their tactical organization. The upcoming friendly matches in South Korea will serve as a way to evaluate the results of their training.
After completing their schedule in South Korea, the team will return to Vietnam for additional training. They plan to depart for the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on November 6 for the next phase of their training camp before moving on to Qatar, the host country of the World Cup.
In the draw for the 2026 FIFA U17 World Cup, Vietnam was placed in Group G alongside Belgium, New Zealand, and Mali. The Vietnamese team will compete in the group stage against these three teams in their first appearance at the finals. The tournament kicks off on November 19, with Vietnam's first match against Belgium on November 20.
This tournament is significant as it marks the Vietnam U17 team's debut on the World Cup stage. Coach Rolando and the team are focused on gaining international competition experience and enhancing their competitiveness through the staged training in South Korea and the UAE.
Meanwhile, the Vietnam team aims to finalize their tactical execution and organization through the three friendly matches in South Korea, addressing any shortcomings during their training in the UAE. The match against the South Korean U17 team is expected to be a key opportunity to assess the players' ability to respond in real-game situations before the World Cup finals.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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