U20 Vietnam failure: Coach Ikeuchi Yutaka lacks experience, risk of Asian relegation

The 1-2 loss to Palestine in the 2027 U20 Asian Cup qualifiers has put U20 Vietnam in a difficult position. Just days earlier, coach Ikeuchi Yutaka's team suffered a 0-3 defeat to North Korea. Two consecutive losses leave the young team facing relegation if they fail to beat Iran on September 6. In this context, former VFF official Duong Vu Lam has strongly criticized the Japanese coach's tactical management. According to Duong Vu Lam, the problem lies not in the lack of naturalized players or the quality of young players, but in the inexperience of coach Ikeuchi Yutaka. "Coach Ikeuchi Yutaka lacks experience in handling situations at U20 Vietnam and seems not to fully understand his players," he commented. This is evident in the squad arrangement and the lack of smooth coordination on the pitch. Notably, U20 Vietnam possesses many players with V-League experience, such as 1m95 tall central defender Dinh Quang Kiet, midfielder Tran Gia Bao, and striker Nguyen Le Phat. However, coach Ikeuchi Yutaka has failed to maximize these experienced players. Dinh Quang Kiet, with his outstanding height, could effectively mark opposing strikers but is not playing regularly. This waste has deprived the team of an important tactical advantage. "U20 Vietnam misjudged their opponents and failed to utilize their squad strengths, which is the head coach's problem," Duong Vu Lam analyzed. Compared to recent successful youth teams like U23 Vietnam under coach Kim Sang Sik or U17 Vietnam winning the SEA championship, the current U20 shows a lack of cohesion and poor tactical adaptability. However, according to Duong Vu Lam, concluding that Japanese coaches are unsuitable for Vietnamese football is premature. "Public opinion that Japanese coaches are not suitable for Vietnamese teams is unfounded," he said. The previous successes of U23 and U17 demonstrate that Vietnam's youth training system still has good quality, independent of naturalized players. The issue lies in execution and personnel selection. Youth football always reflects the training quality of each nation. The poor performance of U20 Vietnam is not just a temporary matter but could affect the entire youth player development system. If they lose to Iran and are relegated, the consequences will be severe, disrupting the development path of young talents. Coach Ikeuchi Yutaka needs to quickly adjust tactics and maximize experienced players like Dinh Quang Kiet. The match against Iran on September 6 is the last chance for U20 Vietnam to salvage the situation. Otherwise, Vietnamese youth football will face a crisis of confidence and training quality.