Mixed reactions after U22 Vietnam's victory

The 1-0 victory over U22 China helped U22 Vietnam have a favorable start at the Panda Cup 2025.

The 1-0 victory of U22 Vietnam over U22 China in the Panda Cup 2025 on November 12 did not cause a big stir, but was still enough to create notable discussions in the region. For China, it was a defeat right on home ground. For Vietnam, this was a neat opening match, more of a test than a show of strength.

Chinese media pointed out the reasons for the defeat frankly. CCTV Sports stressed that the home team lost because of defensive mistakes and wasted opportunities. Sohu Sports said that China had more possession but lacked ideas, while Sina Sports asserted that the lack of players due to the conflicting match schedule made the team immature and disjointed. However, most newspapers considered Vietnam's victory reasonable, the result of a disciplined team that took advantage of opportunities better.

In Southeast Asia, the media followed the match with a different attitude. Indonesia’s Liputan6 newspaper called it a “professional victory” and said that Vietnamese football is maintaining remarkable stability in the region. Thailand’s Thairath newspaper acknowledged that Vietnam showed progress in organizing the game, although not superior in terms of physique or technique. Malaysia’s Harian Metro newspaper emphasized that the victory over China, even in a friendly tournament, “once again affirmed Vietnam’s position in the top group of Southeast Asia”.

Most opinions are unanimous: this is not a big victory, but it is a testament to Vietnam's stability. While China is still testing its strength, Vietnam entered the tournament with the confidence of a team accustomed to the pressure of international competition.

Indonesian newspaper Liputan6 called this a “professional victory” and said that Vietnamese football is maintaining remarkable stability in the region.

The Panda Cup is just a friendly tournament, but the results offer interesting perspectives. China continues to face the familiar question: why do they invest so much but get little results? Vietnam, without exaggeration, is still showing a sustainable direction, playing solidly, maintaining discipline and knowing how to take advantage of every small opportunity to assert itself.

The 1-0 victory did not change the position of Asian football, but it was a reminder that the gap between Vietnam and the football nations once considered "seniors" is gradually narrowing, not by words, but by each important match like in Chengdu on the evening of November 12.

Source: https://znews.vn/phan-ung-trai-chieu-sau-chien-thang-cua-u22-viet-nam-post1602355.html