Asiad 2026: Vietnam U23 and the Biggest Test of a Generation

On a late July afternoon, the training ground at the Vietnam Football Federation's youth development center was so quiet that one could clearly hear the ball bouncing on the grass. Sixteen players returned from the previous training camp, seven new faces, and a list of 23 names gradually being finalized for Asiad 2026. In the technical meeting room, coach Dinh Hong Vinh stood in front of the tactical board, flipping through notes on the group of opponents Uzbekistan, Kuwait, and the Philippines. No cheers, no pressure from the stands - only the sound of pencil scratching paper and the soft breathing of those who understood that everything was about to begin. A year earlier, at thirty-nine, I sat in the press area of a stadium in Nagoya and asked myself what makes people follow youth football. The answer didn't come from a victory, but from a quiet moment before kickoff - when young players stood in a circle, arms around each other's shoulders, eyes looking down at the grass as if silently telling themselves something. Asiad 2026, for Vietnam U23, is such a moment, stretched across months of preparation. The VFF has set a quarterfinal target, and this milestone is within reach given the current squad. But the real story isn't the quarterfinal ticket. It lies in the fact that a generation of players is being placed in a position where they must grow up, and every eye - from national team head coach Kim Sang Sik to club coaches - is watching. Among the 23 called-up players, as many as 16 previously appeared at the July training camp. That working period together created a certain stability, from operational methods to mutual understanding between positions. The seven different faces from the most recent camp, such as Ly Duc, Quang Kiet, Pham Minh Phuc, Le Phat, and Ngoc My, are also not newcomers. Most of them have had one or two seasons playing in the V-League, alongside experiences at youth level or most recently the AFC U23 Championship. That continuity matters more than people think. In youth football, what kills a team isn't a lack of talent, but a lack of time playing together. A center-back who knows where his teammate will move before the ball leaves his foot - that's something only gained through hundreds of training sessions, through matches where both made mistakes and fixed them together. Sixteen out of twenty-three players already have that foundation. Broadly speaking, Vietnam U23 enters the Asiad as one of the most experienced squads in the tournament. This is not a disjointed collection of young talents, but a group of players who have tasted truly professional football - where failure is paid for with money and with a place in the squad. The draw placed Vietnam U23 in a group with Uzbekistan, Kuwait, and the Philippines. This is a group with one formidable opponent, one unpredictable opponent, and one opponent rated lower. The chance to compete for the top two positions remains wide open, and if they make good use of the matches against Kuwait and the Philippines, coach Dinh Hong Vinh's students can definitely secure a quarterfinal ticket. Uzbekistan is the toughest test. Uzbek football at youth level always operates within a stable system, with a direct style, abundant stamina, and tight defensive organization. They aren't a high-scoring team, but they are very difficult to beat. Against such an opponent, Vietnam U23 needs patience more than explosiveness. Kuwait brings a different challenge. They are an opponent capable of surprising with individual moments, but lacking collective stability. The match against Kuwait could be one where Vietnam U23 needs to control the tempo, not letting the game drift with the opponent's inspiration. The Philippines, at this level, is often not highly rated, but it is precisely such matches where young teams most easily lose themselves. When everyone expects a victory, the pressure comes not from the opponent but from expectation itself. This is a match where Vietnam U23 needs to maintain focus and discipline. In the recent history of the Asian Games, men's football has often seen dominance by youth teams from footballing nations with well-organized development systems. Japan, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan - these teams not only have good players but also the ability to operate like machines. This raises a question for Vietnam U23: where does this team stand on that map? I have watched many matches of Japanese youth teams in Nagoya and noticed something interesting. At youth level, the gap between teams isn't in individual skill, but in decision-making speed. Young Japanese players decide one beat faster, and that faster beat creates space. Vietnam U23, with its V-League foundation, is gradually narrowing this gap. What the VFF and coach Kim Sang Sik are doing has significance beyond a single tournament. They changed the plan, from the U21 team to an almost strongest squad. This decision says that Asiad 2026 isn't viewed as a tournament for mere experimentation, but as a real checkpoint for the generation of players who won bronze at the AFC U23 Championship earlier in the year. That generation made its mark with disciplined play, an unyielding spirit, and the ability to endure pressure. They reached the semifinals of a continental tournament, something Vietnamese youth football hasn't always achieved. Now, the challenge at the Asiad is bigger, the opponents more diverse, and the expectations heavier. There's a notable detail in how Vietnam U23 prepared. That is retaining most of the squad that had worked together, rather than constantly shuffling. This stability is a way to optimize training time - a factor that Asian youth teams often undervalue, yet is the key to success in short tournaments. When analyzing the squad, what stands out is that almost all players have professional playing experience. This is a difference from previous U23 generations, when many players were still transitioning from youth to professional football. Now, they are used to the V-League's pace, to playing every three days, to being criticized when they make mistakes. That experience has its own value. A player who has started in the V-League knows how to stay calm when the match reaches the eightieth minute, knows when a tactical foul is needed, knows how to slow the game down when necessary. These are things youth tournaments can't teach. So, entering the Asiad, the red-shirted team remains among the most experienced squads. This doesn't automatically mean success, but it creates an important foundation. The question of who will start in attack is one of the most notable points. Vietnam U23 possesses diverse attacking options, from speedy players who can play wide to target strikers capable of holding up play and seizing chances in the box. Choosing the right person for each match will be coach Dinh Hong Vinh's tactical puzzle. Midfield is where the team can build its style. With players already used to holding the ball in the V-League, Vietnam U23 can impose tempo against weaker opponents. But against Uzbekistan, they may need to play counter-attacking football, relying on the speed of wingers and the long-range passing of central midfielders. Defense is where the team's stability is decided. At youth level, defensive errors often come from a lack of focus or a disconnect within the system. With 16 players having trained together since July, this connection at least has a foundation. Goalkeeper is a special position in short tournaments. A goalkeeper playing well can save a team one match, even a tournament. At the Asiad, dense match scheduling means the team needs a keeper who isn't just good but also consistent. One of the strengths of this generation is the ability to adapt to different tactical formations. They can play with four defenders, with three center-backs, with wing-backs, with a holding midfielder or a box-to-box pair. This flexibility allows coach Dinh Hong Vinh to change approach depending on the opponent. Notably, this flexibility doesn't come randomly. It's the result of players being trained in a professional environment, where they must continuously absorb new tactical ideas from different club coaches. The V-League, despite its limitations, has become a practical learning environment for young players. However, experience also raises questions about balance. When players are used to starting at their clubs, having to compete for positions in the national team can create unnecessary tension. Group management is an important part of a head coach's job in short tournaments. There's a small detail I always notice when watching youth teams: how they celebrate goals. In a truly cohesive team, the scorer doesn't run off alone. The whole team runs toward him. This detail says more than any statistic about team spirit. Tactically, facing Uzbekistan requires Vietnam U23 to pay special attention to set pieces. Central Asian teams are often very strong in this area, with tall players and good heading ability. Defending set pieces will be one of the focus areas in preparation. The match against Kuwait could be one where Vietnam U23 needs to control the game. This opponent often plays with a deep defensive line, and the red-shirted team's task is to break down that defensive block with quick passes, switching play, and long shots. The Philippines, though rated lower, is a team that can cause difficulties with counter-attacking play. They have fast players on both wings, and if Vietnam U23 loses focus, they could be punished. This is a lesson Vietnamese football has paid for more than once. Another factor to consider is the schedule. In major tournaments like the Asiad, dense match scheduling can affect fitness and form. Proper squad rotation will be an important part of the coaching staff's strategy. This raises requirements about squad depth. Vietnam U23 needs quality backup options in every position, to be able to change the course of a match from the bench. In modern football, substitutes often play a decisive role. Coach Kim Sang Sik has certainly made calculations for the future of the Vietnam national team after the 2027 Asian Cup. This is a tournament Vietnamese football needs to prepare carefully for, and the current U23 players are part of that plan. How they perform at the Asiad will directly affect their chances in the national team shirt. The Korean coach's eyes aren't only on results. What he cares about is how young players react to pressure, how they handle difficult situations, how they show character when the match isn't going as desired. These are qualities that club-level matches don't always test. The Asiad is one of many tests for Vietnam U23 players. Alongside it is consistent performance in the V-League or the First Division, whose new season has just kicked off. What players do at club level is no less important than what they do in the national team shirt. This is a point that fans sometimes overlook. A player who only shines in short international tournaments but can't maintain form in the V-League often struggles to go far. A player's development is a long process, not a moment. It can be seen that the Asiad isn't a ticket to immediately step up to the national team. It's viewed as a key for Vietnam U23 to prove their ability to coach Kim Sang Sik as well as club coaches. Only by gradually securing a starting spot in the V-League does the national team door open wider. I once witnessed a young Vietnamese player perform well in an international tournament, receive media praise, then return to his club and sit on the bench for the entire season. This story isn't rare. It shows that pressure and expectation don't automatically translate into opportunity. Players must create their own opportunities, every day, in every training session. Returning to the initial question about Vietnam U23's achievement at Asiad 2026. The quarterfinal is a reasonable target, but not the end goal. In fact, Vietnam U23 can absolutely think about and replicate the achievement of the seniors before them, that is, securing a place in the semifinals or even a medal. That's an ambitious target, but not an impossible one. If the team maintains stability in the group stage, if key players can maintain form through the matches, and if luck is on their side at decisive moments, good results can come. But I want to offer a different angle. In youth football, the final result isn't the only measure. A team that loses in the quarterfinals but leaves a mark in terms of playing style, spirit, and individual growth sometimes has more value than a team that reaches the semifinals through lucky wins. This is a point that Vietnamese sports media sometimes doesn't fully appreciate. We often measure a generation of players by medals, by passing the group stage, by specific milestones. But football's development happens at a deeper level. The current U23 generation is at a special moment. They were trained through a better system, they have more professional experience, and they are placed in a more fiercely competitive environment. These factors will shape the face of Vietnamese football in the coming decade. So, when watching Vietnam U23 at Asiad 2026, I don't just look at the score. I look at how young players handle difficult moments. I look at how they pass when pressured by opponents. I look at how they celebrate, how they console teammates after a mistake, how they get up after conceding. That's real football. There's a match I'll never forget, when Vietnam's youth team trailed by two goals but still equalized in the second half. After the match, a player told me that the hardest thing wasn't scoring, but continuing to believe in the possibility of scoring when everything was against them. That belief is what youth football needs to cultivate. At Asiad 2026, Vietnam U23 isn't just playing for a ticket. They're playing for an idea. The idea that a generation of Vietnamese players can stand on par with the best generations of Asian football at youth level. The idea that sustainable development can come from discipline, from patience, from believing in a long-term process. That's why I think the Asiad isn't the end point, but the starting point. Each match in this tournament is a step of preparation for a bigger tournament, for the 2027 Asian Cup, for World Cup qualifiers, for a decade of Vietnamese football ahead. I once wrote that a match only ends when people stop remembering it. For this U23 generation, the journey at Asiad 2026 will leave memories. Perhaps a memory of a goal, a lucky moment, or a painful defeat. But more importantly, it will become part of the larger story of a football nation trying to rise. Where this team goes at Asiad 2026 remains for reality to answer. But one thing is certain: the continent's biggest multi-sport event is being used by coach Kim Sang Sik as another assessment for the U23 generation that won bronze at the AFC U23 Championship earlier in the year. That's also why the VFF and coach Kim Sang Sik changed the plan, from the U21 team to an almost strongest squad, with significance beyond a single tournament. It shows a long-term vision, a different approach to youth football - not viewing U23 as a separate playground, but as a link in the national team's development chain. In football, the gap between generations is an ever-present issue. Successful teams are often those capable of generational transition without breaking. Bringing a well-trained young generation to the international stage, giving them experience against quality opponents, is precisely how to create that transition. Looking at Vietnam U23's group at Asiad 2026, an opportunity can be seen. Uzbekistan is a formidable opponent, but Kuwait and the Philippines are opponents from whom Vietnam U23 can take points. If the team performs to its ability, a quarterfinal ticket is within reach. But as I said, the quarterfinal isn't the end goal. The end goal is a generation of Vietnamese players grown up, ready for bigger challenges. The end goal is a football nation that can confidently step out into the continent and the world. As a sports journalist who has followed Vietnamese football for many years, I believe in this generation. Not because they will certainly succeed, but because they are on the right path. That path goes through quiet training sessions, through matches without spectators, through long nights analyzing opponent video. That's a path without quick glory, but it's the most sustainable one. There's a saying I always remember when thinking about youth football: every player is a universe, tactics are just orbits. Asiad 2026 will be an occasion for those universes to show their orbits. Some will shine, some will be disappointed, some will find themselves in their hardest moment. That's how football grows - not through easy wins, but through real challenges. I will follow every Vietnam U23 match at Asiad 2026 with special attention. Not just to see the score, but to see how a generation of players writes its own story. Because in football, what people remember isn't always the result. Sometimes, what people remember is the moment a young player gets up after a fall, brushes grass off his knees, and keeps running. If Vietnam U23 passes the group stage and goes far at this Asiad, that will be an achievement to be proud of. But if they stop at some round, that doesn't mean failure either. The success of a football generation isn't measured by one tournament, but by the players it produces, the lessons it brings, the foundations it builds for the future. Asiad 2026, for Vietnam U23, is part of a much longer story. It's the story of a football nation growing up, seeking its place on the continental map, placing faith in a promising young generation. And in that story, every match has meaning. When the referee blows the whistle to start Vietnam U23's first match, I'll be sitting somewhere, with my notebook and pen, recording the smallest details. Because I know that in youth football, small details are often the most important things. A smart run, a well-timed pass, a look of understanding between two teammates - that's football, and that's what makes me love this sport. Vietnam U23 is heading to Asiad 2026 with a full baggage. They have experience, they have stability, they have expectations. But above all, they have an opportunity - a chance to prove that their generation can do what previous generations did, and possibly more. That journey begins from quiet training days, through group-stage matches, and heads toward a quarterfinal that could change everything. No one knows the result in advance. But one thing is certain: it will be a journey worth remembering, worth following, and worth believing in. In the world of football, where everything is measured by goals and points, a team's true value sometimes lies in things that can't be measured. At Vietnam U23 and Asiad 2026, those things are waiting to be written. And as a football storyteller, I'll be there to record every moment, every breath, every emotion of a generation growing up. A match only ends when people stop remembering it. And I believe that, whatever Vietnam U23's final result at Asiad 2026 is, people will still remember it for a long time.