Hanoi, July 18, 2024, The Europe Today: The Vietnam U-19 team is poised to compete in the ASEAN U-19 Boys’ Championship 2024 in Indonesia. Head coach Hứa Hiền Vinh has finalized a squad of 23 players for the tournament, having excluded defender Nguyễn Mạnh Hưng, striker Nguyễn Anh Tuấn, and Czech-based midfielder Hồ Hữu Hưng from the initial roster.
The championship, running until July 29, will see Vietnam drawn in Group B. The U-19 Team is set to face Myanmar in their opening match on July 18, followed by a game against Australia on July 21, and concluding the group stage against Laos on July 24.
Vietnam U-19 Team Group is Relatively Heavy
Coach Vinh acknowledged the challenges posed by the group, stating, “Vietnam’s group is relatively heavy. Australia won the championship in 2020, did not participate in 2022 U-19 Team, and returned this time, so they are strong. Additionally, Laos are also unknown, as they secured second place two years ago. Overall, the group is competitive, but the Vietnamese team aims to progress to the semi-finals.”
Midfielder Thái Bá Đạt expressed confidence in the team’s prospects, remarking, “The opportunities are always divided equally among all teams; whichever team shows themselves better will win. Vietnam is not afraid of any opponent.”
This year’s tournament marks the first application of VAR (Video Assistant Referee) technology in the history of the ASEAN U-19 competition. While VAR is expected to enhance the accuracy of referee decisions, Coach Vinh has issued specific instructions to the players to avoid potential pitfalls, given that Vietnamese football teams have historically encountered unfavorable VAR decisions.
The ASEAN U-19 tournament will feature 12 teams divided into three groups. The top three teams and the best second-placed team will advance to the semi-finals, with the winners competing for the championship title and the semi-final losers contesting third place.
In preparation for the ASEAN event, the Vietnamese team recently participated in a friendly international tournament in China, where they competed against hosts China, South Korea, and Uzbekistan.
