Vietnam U20 must beat Palestine’s Europe-based squad

Vietnam U20 have no room for another setback. After a 3-0 defeat to North Korea in their opening match, they must beat Palestine on September 3 to keep their hopes of reaching the 2027 AFC U20 Asian Cup finals alive.

The Group C match will begin at 7 p.m. at Viet Tri Stadium in Phu Tho. Palestine also lost their first game, going down 2-1 to Iran, so both teams need a victory from this direct meeting.

Palestine’s squad presents a particular challenge. Of their 23 players, 11 currently play in Europe, while two others are based in Brazil and the United States. The team caused Iran, considered the strongest side in the group, considerable difficulty in its opening match.

Jasin Abou Chaker, who came off the bench and scored against Iran in stoppage time, plays for Germany’s BFC Preussen. Another Germany-based forward, Suheib Elias Ali of Union Berlin, missed two clear chances in the 60th and 65th minutes while Iran led 1-0. A goal then could have changed the result, the report said.

Vietnam’s 0-3 loss damaged the young players’ confidence and drew criticism from supporters. The team looked disjointed, struggled physically and fell into confusion after North Korea scored repeatedly. Central defender Đinh Quang Kiệt, who had recently helped Vietnam win the 2026 ASEAN Cup, also made an error leading to the third goal.

The team had faced personnel problems during its preparations because clubs did not release players for national duty. Kiệt had only one or two training sessions with the squad before the tournament, affecting cohesion and tactical preparation. Coach Yutaka Ikeuchi’s team must now recover quickly and rebuild after losing Nguyễn Lê Phát, the squad’s most experienced player, after the opening match.