Phu ThoThe opportunity to advance is very narrow, but Vietnam still has many responsibilities to fulfill when meeting Iran in the final round of Group C of the U20 Asian 2027 qualifying round tonight.
* Vietnam - Iran: 7:00 p.m. Sunday, September 6.
Losses to North Korea and Palestine left Vietnam at the bottom of the table. Leading is North Korea with 6 points, while Iran and Palestine both have 3 points. Vietnam cannot top the table, but still has a very slim chance of ranking second.
The necessary condition is that Palestine loses to North Korea, and the sufficient condition is that Vietnam wins against Iran by two goals or one goal but the score is 3-2 or more. Then, with the same 3 points, Vietnam will rank above Iran and Palestine thanks to head-to-head difference. However, the team still needs to wait for the results of other groups to see if they can be in the group of 7 best runner-up teams or not.
Because Group A only has 3 teams, the second team's score is only considered by the results of the first and third teams in the same group. Vietnam's progression also depends on Iran finishing third, and will only appear when they beat this opponent by a margin of 3-2, 4-3 or more.
Theoretical calculations show that Vietnam still has opportunities, but reality is much harsher. Iran is tough with the continent's leading physical and technical foundation. The three goals from the beginning of the qualifying round by the West Asian representative are all proof, with long shots, acceleration and compression to head. They may not be as strong as North Korea, but they are not inferior and only lost 1-2 in the extra minutes after a brief lack of concentration. The current position also helps Iran not be forced to attack aggressively, instead waiting to counterattack to defeat the host.
Despite the difficulties, Yutaka Ikeuchi and his team need to show the spirit of not giving up, which was partly shown when confronting Palestine by pressing and creating many opportunities. Team captain Nguyen Quoc Khanh also showed maturity on behalf of the entire team by not making excuses for failure. The team needs to look back at mistakes to correct them, and the players need to be more calm, especially in decisive or decisive passes. Finally, a little bit of luck goes hand in hand.
Expectations from public opinion about Vietnam taking second place in the group after the first two matches are not high. What is expected is how the team performs against Iran. More importantly, not to become one of the six teams at the bottom with the best results, a position that forces Vietnam to play in the development round instead of the 2029 Asian U20 qualifiers. The current generation therefore also needs to show responsibility to the juniors behind them.
In the table for the bottom-ranked teams, the UAE has the advantage with a difference of -2, Vietnam and Afghanistan are behind with -4. A draw with Iran or a minimal loss could thus become a sufficient result to avoid relegation.
Match schedule and results of Group C U20 Asian qualifier 2027
Battle Date and Time
August 31, 16:00 Iran 2-1 Palestine
19:00 Vietnam 0-3 North Korea
September 3, 16:00 North Korea 2-1 Iran
19:00 Vietnam 1-2 Palestine
September 6, 16:00 North Korea - Palestine
19:00 Vietnam - Iran
Table C hierarchy
Second Team Match Win Draw Loss Points
1 North Korea 2 2 0 0 6
2 Iran 2 1 0 1 3
3 Palestine 2 1 0 1 3
4 Vietnam 2 0 0 2 0
