U20 Vietnam stumble in qualifiers: expert Duong Vu Lam says coach Ikeuchi Yutaka misreads players and wastes V-League talent

After a 0-3 defeat to North Korea, U20 Vietnam lost again to Palestine 1-2 in the 2027 AFC U20 qualifiers. The team under coach Ikeuchi Yutaka looked disconnected: midfielders lost possession, attacking combinations lacked ideas, and 1m95 center-back Dinh Quang Kiet was not used properly. Former Vietnam Football Federation official Duong Vu Lam said the main problem is not the lack of naturalized players, but coach Ikeuchi Yutaka's tactical management and player selection. Duong Vu Lam pointed out that the Japanese coach lacks experience handling pressure at U20 level and does not fully understand his players. Watching U20 Vietnam, the contrast with the successful U23 side of Kim Sang Sik and the U17 side of Cristiano Roland is clear. The lesson from the 2026 World Cup applies here: every team has two sets of records. One is public results; the other is hidden in squad selection. Dinh Quang Kiet, Tran Gia Bao, and Nguyen Le Phat are V-League players not used according to their value. Dinh Quang Kiet has ideal height for dealing with strong forwards from West Asia or Northeast Asia. Yet he was not trusted in key moments. If U20 Vietnam lose to Iran on September 6, relegation from the continental qualifiers will have serious consequences for the whole youth development system. But it is still too early to conclude that Japanese coaches do not fit Vietnamese football. The real issue is whether Ikeuchi Yutaka can adapt to the psychology and habits of Vietnamese players. Talented young players are like old sponsorship contracts: they never disappear, but they need someone to discover them. The match against Iran is a test of coaching flexibility. If Ikeuchi Yutaka continues to ignore a 1m95 center-back when facing a physically strong Iranian side, then the problem is no longer about results, but about accountability. I started with one figure and end with one name. The figure is 1m95. The name is Dinh Quang Kiet. The rest depends on the coach's decision on September 6.