Tonight at 23:30! The U23 Asian Cup semifinal will see the Chinese U23 team face Vietnam, with the final broadcast live on CCTV.

On January 20th, Beijing time, the second semifinal of the U23 Asian Cup will start. China and Vietnam meet head-to-head, fighting hard for a place in the final. The exciting game will begin exactly at 23:30 and has drawn widespread fan interest. CCTV has also arranged live broadcast, so viewers can enjoy the match without worry!

The Chinese U23 team has historically been a weaker side, lacking competitiveness across age groups. Before this tournament, they had never reached the knockout stage. However, this edition has seen a breakthrough: after drawing with Iraq and Thailand in the group stage and pulling off a surprising 1-0 win over Australia to finish second in the group and advance to the quarterfinals, they made their first-ever Asian Cup quarterfinal appearance. Then, they continued their underdog story by eliminating a strong Uzbekistan team via penalty shootout to reach the semifinals. With four unbeaten matches and just one goal conceded, they set a new best record in the Asian Cup. This success owes much to the outstanding performance of goalkeeper Li Hao!

Today, they will take the field again to face Vietnam. Although Vietnam is considered a weaker team, they have focused heavily on youth training in recent years. Their young squad is very dynamic and has previously finished as runners-up in the Asian Cup, making them a formidable opponent. In this tournament, Vietnam has shown strong form, winning all three group matches to top their group. In the quarterfinals, they faced the West Asian powerhouse UAE and, after a tough 120-minute battle including extra time, secured a 3-2 victory. With four consecutive wins, they have advanced to the semifinals, demonstrating impressive winning ability!

Looking at the overall strength of the two teams, Vietnam is stronger than China. They have adopted a possession-based style inspired by Japan, which has already shown promising results. Their quick, skillful play and well-coordinated teamwork, especially in attack, surpass China’s. Vietnam has scored many goals, so this match puts great pressure on China. It will be a fierce contest, with Vietnam’s attacking power challenging goalkeeper Li Hao significantly. We hope China can withstand the opponent’s assault and successfully reach the final. CCTV5 will broadcast the match live. Let’s watch eagerly and cheer them on!

Written by / Sports Community