U23 Vietnam - U23 China: Determined to Relive the Historic Final in Changzhou

A decade ago, during their first appearance, U23 Vietnam was a disorganized squad, only able to seize moments to score consolation goals against U23 Jordan and U23 UAE. Eight years ago, the Changzhou miracle was born from the sweat and tears of a resilient generation that defended staunchly against strong teams to win by counterattack.

Now, U23 Vietnam is no longer a small team hoping to create a fairy tale. Securing a semi-final spot in the Asian Championship after 8 years is not just a milestone achievement; the true value lies in how Coach Kim Sang-sik’s team earned their victory.

Under the guidance of Korean strategist Kim Sang-sik, Vietnamese football has developed a generation of players unafraid of any rivals and daring to play their own style. The record of 15 consecutive wins against 13 opponents from across Asia over the past 7 months speaks volumes.

At the 2026 AFC U23 Championship, U23 Vietnam dominated the group stage and controlled the quarter-final against strong U23 UAE, attacking fairly and convincingly beating them. Coach Kim Sang-sik’s squad is in outstanding form, undefeated in all 4 matches played, boosting the morale of the Golden Star Warriors at this moment.

U23 Vietnam is enjoying a streak of excellent performances with a versatile attacking style. The players show strong composure and smooth tactical execution under Coach Kim Sang-sik. The team is dangerous not only in coordinated group plays but also especially sharp in quick counterattacks.

Facing U23 China in the semi-finals clearly feels more manageable compared to the prospect of facing U23 Uzbekistan, a team regarded as a powerhouse in Asian youth football.

China has been a fairly familiar opponent for U23 Vietnam recently in friendly tournaments. They have not been significantly superior to Vietnam at the youth level over recent years.

Recent encounters between the two teams have often yielded positive results for Coach Kim Sang-sik’s squad, including a victory at the 2025 Panda Cup just before SEA Games 33. However, in official matches, they met twice in Group 7 of the 2000 Olympic qualifiers in 1999, where Vietnam lost 0-4 in Hanoi and 0-3 in Shanghai to China.

U23 Vietnam is making a clearer impression. Wins against strong teams like Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and UAE demonstrate Coach Kim Sang-sik’s team plays cohesively, has excellent fitness, and maintains stable competitive spirit. Meanwhile, U23 China’s path to the semi-finals is less convincing technically, at least judging by the statistics.

In this showdown, U23 Vietnam also enjoys historical support. They are among the most successful teams in the tournament with one runner-up finish and two quarter-final appearances. Conversely, U23 China has always been eliminated in the group stage in previous tournaments.

U23 Vietnam also holds a fitness advantage, having one more day of rest than U23 China before the semi-final. Both teams endured a tense 120 minutes recently and need time to recover physically.

U23 China is the tournament’s standout team this year, possessing a very strong squad. They are clearly superior to Vietnam in terms of height and physical strength, often dominating their opponents in duels during matches.

However, U23 China’s style of play does not fully reflect the quality of their squad. Their statistics are among the lowest in the tournament, having scored only one goal and showing modest attacking indicators such as possession and shots.

U23 China secured just one win to advance from the group stage and became the first team in AFC U23 Championship history to reach the semi-finals with only one goal scored. In the quarter-finals, they progressed only after a penalty shootout (0-0 after 120 minutes) against U23 Uzbekistan.

Yet, this pragmatic style makes U23 China a formidable opponent. They are not weak but play very clear football focused on solidity, discipline, and organized defense. Not conceding any goals in 4 matches against teams with different styles is the clearest proof.

In the goalless draw against U23 Uzbekistan, China’s defense was very tight, deploying a deep line, blocking the central lanes, minimizing spaces, and forcing Uzbekistan into a deadlock. This approach is highly effective in knockout matches.

The standout player in China’s defensive setup is goalkeeper Li Hao, who was the hero leading U23 China into the 2026 AFC U23 Championship semi-finals.

In the quarter-final against a ball-controlling and versatile attacking U23 Uzbekistan, China’s goal was repeatedly under threat. In this context, Li Hao delivered a career-defining performance with 8 crucial saves, keeping his team standing firm through the intense 120 minutes.

The peak of his performance came during the penalty shootout, where Li Hao made an outstanding save, helping his team win 4-2.

In this match, Coach Antonio Puche of U23 China is likely to stick with the 5-4-1 formation, ready to concede possession and wait for mistakes from U23 Vietnam. The key battle will be in China’s final third, where Vietnamese forwards must exercise maximum patience to break through the dense defense.

This will certainly be a challenge for Coach Kim Sang-sik’s attackers. However, with a well-functioning, diverse, and cohesive offense that has scored 8 goals in the last 4 matches, his players are fully capable of securing a convincing win to reach the final.

The semi-final between U23 Vietnam and U23 China will take place at 22:30 on January 20th at Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Sports City Stadium, Jeddah (Saudi Arabia), which has a capacity of 27,000 seats.

The winner will face Japan or South Korea in the final on the evening of January 24th, while the loser will compete in the third-place match a day earlier. This is a crucial moment for Coach Kim Sang-sik’s team to revive the "Changzhou 2018" spirit and affirm the status of Vietnamese youth football on the continental stage.