How can we break through the Chinese U23 defense?

China's U23 team advanced deep into the tournament thanks to the outstanding performance of goalkeeper Li Hao - Photo: AFC

A small number of fans believe that the Chinese U23 team will not continue to play defensively against Vietnam in the semi-final match at 10:30 PM on January 20th , because doing so would implicitly mean they are accepting themselves as the "underdogs" - something that Chinese fans do not want at all.

However, Chinese football is still stronger than Vietnamese football, and playing like that is considered very "embarrassing".

But many also believe that the Chinese U23 team will continue to play a defensive counter-attacking style against Vietnam, despite the sarcasm from the fans.

The opponent will play counter-attacking football.

There are two reasons why the Chinese U23 team is forced to continue playing defensively. Firstly, the Chinese U23 team is not good at attacking. Therefore, they certainly cannot risk using their weakness to confront the Vietnamese U23 team .

Secondly, since the Chinese U23 team previously accepted playing as the underdog against Thailand, there's no reason why they would play offensively when facing Vietnam.

The status of Vietnamese football is perhaps less important than historical achievements and securing a place in the final. So the question is, if China plays defensively with a solid wall in front of goalkeeper Li Hao, as they have in previous matches, can Vietnam U23 win?

Admittedly, the Chinese U23 team played very tight, scientific defense, based on strong cohesion among the players. But each match is a very different story, and consistency cannot be maintained from one game to the next.

In previous matches, the Chinese U23 team still allowed their opponents to create dangerous opportunities. But somehow, they managed to avoid conceding a goal.

Goalkeeper Li Hao's excellence is undeniable, but the Chinese U23 team also had a bit of luck on their side.

Graphics: M. TÁNH

Seize the opportunity.

Therefore, it's clear that to win against China, the Vietnam U23 team needs to apply the playing style that helped them reach the semi-finals. But the key is to be more precise and accurate in their finishing, because opportunities will certainly not be plentiful.

Just one goal would make things easier for the Vietnam U23 team. Coach Kim Sang Sik 's squad must maintain composure and avoid rushing or being impatient for victory.

We need to be extremely focused and avoid making mistakes that could allow the opponent to score first, because if that happens, the Chinese U23 team's defensive motivation will be stronger. The Vietnamese U23 team needs to try to control the ball more, forcing the opponent to run a lot and tire themselves out. We absolutely must not get into situations where we have to compete physically and mentally with the Chinese U23 team.

The Chinese U23 players are tall and well-built, so they will certainly use long balls to try and score against goalkeeper Trung Kien.

Therefore, the central defenders need to be extremely focused and correct the mistakes that led to Vietnam U23 conceding goals in the quarter-final match against UAE. Both flanks also need to be tightly marked to prevent opponents from crossing the ball too freely, thereby reducing pressure on the central defenders.

However, due to their superior physique, the Chinese U23 players tend to be complacent in corner kicks or other set-piece situations.

This is an opportunity for Vietnam's key tactics to shine. Against an opponent like China U23, Vietnam U23 is fully capable of winning. The only question is how much patience and composure the players can maintain.

Tuoitre.vn

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/lam-sao-pha-vo-hang-thu-u23-trung-quoc-20260119231417579.htm