Identifying the strengths of the Chinese U23 team: A tough opponent for the Vietnamese U23 team.

(Dan Tri Newspaper) - Looking at the statistics, many people think that the Chinese U23 team is a relatively easy opponent for the Vietnamese U23 team. However, they may be the toughest opponent for the Vietnamese U23 team in this year's tournament.

China U23 defeated Uzbekistan U23 after a penalty shootout.

Decoding the strength of the Chinese U23 team.

Despite scoring only one goal in four matches, China's U23 team still secured a place in the semi-finals of the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Championship, leading many to mistakenly believe that Vietnam's U23 team will not be a formidable opponent in the match taking place tomorrow evening (10:30 PM on October 20th, Vietnam time).

Because, in part, a subjective element of their own fault led to the Uzbekistan U23 team – the champions of the tournament held in Changzhou (China) in 2018 – paying the price with a bitter defeat in the penalty shootout against China U23 in the quarter-finals.

China's U23 team boasts a solid defense, having kept a clean sheet after 390 minutes at the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Championship (Photo: AFC).

It's impossible not to feel bitter when the Uzbekistan U23 team controlled the ball for 78% of the time, unleashed 22 shots towards the opponent's goal, including 7 shots on target, but ultimately still lost to an opponent who focused solely on defending in their own half.

In the quarter-final match, the Chinese U23 team only controlled the ball 22% of the time and were almost harmless in Uzbekistan's half, with only 4 aimless shots that posed no threat to the Central Asian team's goal. However, goalkeeper Li Hao will likely be remembered by the Uzbeks for his outstanding performance, making 8 saves in 120 minutes of regular time and extra time.

Notably, the 9th save by the 2004-born goalkeeper in the penalty shootout led to Uzbekistan U23's elimination from the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Championship. Li Hao was not only the hero for China U23 in the match against Uzbekistan U23, but also a key factor in helping the "country of a billion people" team become the only team to keep a clean sheet in the AFC U23 Asian Championship as they reached the semi-finals.

"When our theoretical strength is weaker than our opponents, the significance of this match lies not only in surpassing them tactically and technically, but also in giving our all to hold firm and wait for an opportunity to turn the situation around," Sina Sport emphasized the fighting spirit of the Chinese U23 team, which frustrated their opponents with the strength of their defense.

Therefore, it can be said that the semi-final match between Vietnam U23 and China U23 will be a contest between a team with an excellent attack, having scored 8 goals, and a team with a solid defense, having not conceded a single goal.

Goalkeeper Li Hao poses a significant challenge to the Vietnamese U23 team's attack in the semi-final match (Photo: AFC).

"The key to the match is the clash between the strongest 'shield' and the sharpest 'spear'. The Chinese team has built the most solid defense in this tournament."

In contrast, Vietnam's attack is incredibly powerful. Their attacking style doesn't rely on individual stars, but rather on a flexible passing and ball control system along with quick counter-attacks.

Nguyen Dinh Bac is their top scorer, with 3 goals and 1 assist in this tournament. His positioning and finishing ability will be the biggest challenge for the Chinese defense," Sina Sport said about the match between the two teams.

The difficulties that the Vietnam U23 team has to face.

According to experts, the playing style of the Chinese U23 team could pose the greatest challenge to the Vietnamese U23 team among all the teams they have faced so far in the tournament. Looking at the four wins achieved by Coach Kim Sang Sik's team, it's clear that the Vietnamese U23 players are very strong in counter-attacks and set-piece situations.

However, the Vietnamese U23 team is expected to face difficulties against the Chinese U23 team's playing style, as the latter uses a 5-3-2 formation, prioritizing defense thanks to the tall and strong physique of their defenders, who are among the best in the tournament.

"Antonio Puche's team has never been known for its flashy style of play. His 5-3-2 formation has often been criticized as passive and overly reliant on long passes."

However, this very "simplicity," often misunderstood, actually embodies the highest level of footballing intelligence: He has trained a group of young players with an average age of just 20.8 years into a sophisticated defensive machine, creating the only team to keep a clean sheet in the tournament. This is not luck, because behind the luck lies actual organizational skill," Sina Sport said about the "weapon" of the Chinese U23 team in their journey to the semi-finals.

Coach Antonio Puche led the Chinese U23 team to a historic milestone by reaching the semi-finals of the AFC U23 Asian Championship for the first time (Photo: Sina).

Another point worth mentioning is that the Chinese U23 team is being led by a highly experienced coach, Antonio Puche. At the 2023 Asian U20 Championship, the Spanish strategist impressed by helping the underdog Chinese U23 team win against Saudi Arabia, draw against South Korea, and only suffer a heartbreaking defeat in extra time.

What Antonio Puche built for the Chinese U23 team is somewhat similar to the Vietnamese U23 team that finished as runners-up in 2018 under coach Park Hang Seo, creating a solid defensive machine and waiting for opportunities to finish off the opponent by any means, including in regular time, extra time, or in penalty shootouts.

Whether the Vietnam U23 team can "decipher" the China U23 team in the semi-final will be revealed on the evening of January 20th. The good news is that coach Kim Sang Sik confidently declared at the pre-match press conference that the Vietnam U23 team will defeat the China U23 team to secure a place in the final.

Watch the entire 2026 AFC U23 Asian Championship Finals on TV360 at https://tv360.vn. Enjoy a smooth multi-platform experience, rewind and replay, and free Viettel 4G/5G data.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/nhan-dien-suc-manh-u23-trung-quoc-doi-thu-kho-choi-voi-u23-viet-nam-20260119174458706.htm