U20 Vietnam loses 'soul' Nguyen Le Phat at the hardest time

This morning at Hòa Xuân training ground, no one saw Nguyễn Lê Phát in the recovery session of U20 Vietnam. Just one day after the 0-3 loss to U20 North Korea in the first match of the 2027 U20 Asian Cup qualifiers, shocking news spread: the team's most experienced forward had to return to club Ninh Bình to prepare for round 1 of V-League 2026/27. The departure of the player born in 2026 is nothing new in transfer windows or national team camp periods, but in the context of the heavy defeat before it, it feels like a direct punch to the fragile hopes left for coach Yutaka Ikeuchi's side. To understand why this departure is so worrying, one must look at U20 Vietnam's position in Group C. Coach Ikeuchi's side are firmly the underdogs against big opponents U20 Iran and U20 North Korea. U20 Palestine are the weakest team in the group, but they are also the team that U20 Vietnam must beat by a big margin if they are to keep their best runner-up hopes alive. The 0-3 defeat to U20 North Korea not only worsened their goal difference, but also exposed a disorganized defense and a disjointed pressing system. Now, losing the most accomplished player in the squad threatens to collapse Ikeuchi's entire tactical plan. Nguyễn Lê Phát is not a strange name to Vietnamese football fans. He was called up to the senior national team, won a bronze medal with U23 Vietnam at the U23 Asian Championship and a gold medal at the 33rd SEA Games. With that class and composure, Phát was seen as the "soul" of U20 Vietnam's play in this qualifying round. He was not only the target of attacking moves, the player who kept the rhythm when the team was under pressure, but also a dressing-room leader. But duties at Ninh Bình forced this forward to leave the youth team before the tournament ended. The truth is that Vietnamese football always faces the conflict of schedules between youth national teams and V-League clubs, and this time, U20 Vietnam is the one that suffers. Coach Yutaka Ikeuchi's words in the press conference after the match against North Korea still haunt me: "I hoped only one person would have to leave, but since there is no other way, I will have to adjust the plan and carefully consider the starting line-up." The Japanese coach is known for his meticulous approach to building a playing style, but losing a key forward at such a sensitive moment makes all calculations much harder. In a context where the team has just suffered a heavy loss, tactical adjustments are indispensable, but adjusting to hide the void named Nguyễn Lê Phát is almost impossible. Tactically, the absence of Lê Phát forces Ikeuchi to choose between two options. One is to use a younger, less experienced striker, accepting immaturity in the final third. The other is to change the system, shifting to a defensive counter-attacking formation like 5-4-1 or 4-5-1, sacrificing attacking power to preserve energy against stronger opponents. Looking at the match against U20 North Korea, U20 Vietnam could not build up from the back, could not keep the ball for more than three consecutive passes under the opponent's pressure. When losing the player who could hold the ball the best, the problem of escaping the press becomes even more difficult. Although no official statistics were released, it is plausible that U20 Vietnam's xG (expected goals) was very low, possibly even zero. They barely managed to shoot at goal in that match. This leads to a systemic issue: U20 Vietnam are too dependent on a single individual. In Southeast Asian youth football, relying on a single star rarely produces results when facing teams with deep youth development systems like Iran or North Korea. U20 Vietnam do not lack young talent, but they lack squad depth. Instead of creating a balanced collective, football decision-makers often cling to standout individuals. Nguyễn Lê Phát is a product of a generation deemed successful with the SEA Games gold medal, but when he leaves, the void is enormous. The public is blaming coach Yutaka Ikeuchi for the defeat to U20 North Korea, arguing that the Japanese manager chose the wrong line-up or employed poor defensive tactics. But if one followed U20 Vietnam training over a long period, they would see that the issue is not Ikeuchi, but rather the lack of consistency in the plan between VFF and clubs. The U20 Asian Cup qualifiers are taking place while V-League 2026/27 is about to start. Ninh Bình - a club that has just earned promotion to V-League - has the right to demand an early return of its player. This is a chronic problem that remains unsolved, because clubs care about their own achievements, while youth national teams are only prioritized during FIFA Days. Clearly, keeping a star player for a qualifying tournament is not a mandatory regulation of the AFC. Lê Phát's return to Ninh Bình is a completely legal decision, with no violation of any rule. But from that very legality, we see the inadequacy in the way Vietnamese football operates. When a club needs a player for the preparatory phase, they will call back their man, regardless of whether the national team is at a decisive stage. This does not only happen to U20 Vietnam, but is a common issue in Southeast Asian football, where youth tournaments are often considered less important than domestic leagues. The Japanese coach had a long talk with his assistants after Lê Phát's departure was confirmed. He understands that, forget about progressing further, U20 Vietnam are facing the risk of elimination right from the group stage if they do not prepare properly in the coming days. The next opponent is U20 Palestine, a West Asian team rated weaker but also quite resolute. Without a win, U20 Vietnam will be officially eliminated. But even if they win by a big score, they still need to create a miracle against U20 Iran in the final round. For a team that just lost 0-3 and lost their most important player, is that feasible? I remember the journey of U23 Vietnam at SEA Games 33, where Lê Phát and his teammates brought home the gold medal. A whole generation of young players were expected to create a new wave for Vietnamese football. But top-level football requires not only talent, but also support from the system. When a young star has to leave the national team to prepare for a V-League match, it shows that priorities are still heavily inclined toward clubs. Youth coaches often have to accept the absence of their best players, and they have no right to complain. From the perspective of a journalist following the team for many years, I realize that Vietnamese youth teams lack a solid development foundation. Depending on one or two outstanding individuals is inevitable in the short term, but in the long run, Vietnamese football needs to build squad depth, where each position has at least two or three players of comparable quality. If not, we will keep repeating the same story: a youth tournament, a big star, and a departure that causes a collapse. In training this morning, Ikeuchi tried many options. He placed a young forward at the highest point, asking the two full-backs to push higher. The players concentrated, but the atmosphere in the dressing room is not the same anymore. The absence of a leader is visible in the lackluster passes, in the hesitation before 50-50 challenges. I remember his words: "I hoped only one would leave". That hope has been shattered, and now, instead of thinking about the risk of elimination, Ikeuchi must find a way to lift the morale of a group drowning in doubt. The biggest question now is not whether U20 Vietnam can advance, but how the team will react to adversity. In recent years, Vietnamese youth football has produced spectacular comebacks, but also humiliating defeats where people blame fate. This time, fate has chosen a harsh route: a heavy loss, a key player leaving, and a ticket to the next round almost beyond reach. But football has no magic without thorough preparation beforehand. U20 Vietnam must save themselves in the match against Palestine, and what matters no less is the performance of the young players given the chance to replace Lê Phát. Watching the training with higher intensity than usual, I believe Ikeuchi is seeking a breakthrough solution. But the cold truth is that U20 Vietnam have lost their spiritual son. V-League will wait for no one, and people are willing to sacrifice a long-term future of youth football just to prepare for a single league match. Do the managers understand that enabling youth teams to play complete international tournaments is far more important than a few pre-season training sessions? The answer probably lies in the results of the upcoming matches, but I am afraid that by then, it will be too late.