Japan U23 (in blue) easily defeated China U23 to win the championship - Photo: AFC
Late on January 24th, the Japanese U23 team secured a resounding 4-0 victory over the Chinese U23 team in the final of the 2026 AFC U23 Championship.
Although the team from the "land of a billion people" was expected to spring a surprise thanks to their solid defense (they hadn't conceded a goal before and had just beaten Vietnam U23 3-0 in the semi-finals),
But the reality on the field showed a huge difference in class. The "Blue Samurai" displayed a beautiful, effective attacking style of play and completely overwhelmed their opponent.
The overwhelming dominance of the Japanese team meant the match lacked the necessary drama of a final. Therefore, on football forums, many Asian fans unanimously chanted the name of the Vietnamese U23 team.
Some opinions expressed regret: "I think that if the Vietnam U23 team had reached the final and played an attacking game against Japan, the match would have been much more exciting and interesting than China's helplessness."
"It's so boring to watch a final that's so one-sided," one fan commented.
However, there were also realistic comments acknowledging the overwhelming strength of the champions: "The Japanese U23 team was too dominant; whether their opponent was the Chinese U23 team or the Vietnamese U23 team, the outcome would have been the same."
Japanese football is truly at World Cup level and is far ahead of other countries on the continent."
With this victory, the Japanese U23 team made history by becoming the first team to successfully defend their title and the only team to win the tournament three times.
As for the Vietnam U23 team, coach Kim Sang Sik and his players have returned to Vietnam and finished the tournament in third place.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/nguoi-ham-mo-chau-a-neu-u23-viet-nam-vao-chung-ket-tran-dau-da-hap-dan-hon-2026012500194721.htm
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