U23 China goalkeeper reveals about the 'psychological tactic' and the note on the water bottle

On January 17th, Li Hao became the “hero” for U23 China in the quarterfinal against U23 Uzbekistan by making 8 crucial saves, showcasing outstanding skill in the nerve-wracking penalty shootout.

According to China’s Xinhua news agency, during the quarterfinal penalty shootout, cameras frequently caught Li Hao smiling and glancing at a small piece of paper taped to his water bottle. This detail was seen by many viewers as evidence of thorough preparation.

Regarding this detail, the U23 China goalkeeper said: “I have been through many penalty shootouts, but never on this scale. I smiled because I truly felt the team had a real chance to win. Honestly, I was enjoying that moment.”

Li Hao revealed that he always prepares a note for each match but usually keeps it hidden. He explained: “I only take it out when necessary. It records the penalty habits of opposing players. However, in this match, the players listed in the notes were not the ones taking the shots.”

Although aware that the note was not very useful at that moment, Li Hao confirmed he still looked at it because it was a “psychological tactic.”

The young “goalkeeper” emphasized: “When players think you have studied them thoroughly, doubt immediately arises. They begin to hesitate whether to change their shot direction or technique. That moment of hesitation creates pressure.”

This strategy proved effective when a U23 Uzbekistan player missed a penalty and another shot was saved by Li Hao. Most notably, Li Hao blocked the decisive penalty from U23 Uzbekistan right after his teammate Yang Haoyu missed China’s penalty shot.

Li Hao recalled: “When my teammate missed, I wasn’t nervous at all. I told him: Let me save the next one.”

Li Hao stated that for now, he is focused on setting emotions aside to prepare for the semifinal against U23 Vietnam. He affirmed: “U23 Vietnam is a strong opponent and in the semifinals, there is no weak team. We must give our all and play without regrets.”

The semifinal match of the 2026 AFC U23 Championship between U23 Vietnam and U23 China will take place on the evening of January 20th, Vietnam time.

In 2016, at just 12 years old, Li Hao left his hometown alone to join Atletico Madrid’s youth academy in Spain. Seven years later, he signed a professional contract with Atletico Madrid and was loaned to the Spanish third-division club UE Cornella, where his playing time was limited. At the beginning of 2025, Li returned to China to join Qingdao West Coast club.