3-0! From scoring 1 goal in 4 matches to 3 goals in 1 match, the U23 Chinese national team reaches the final to face Japan, while Vietnam’s top star kneels to apologize.

The plan has been altered: the U23 Chinese team originally sought to qualify from the group stage of the U23 Asian Cup, but now the objective is to win the title!

At 23:30 Beijing time on January 20th, the U23 Asian Cup semifinal took place at Prince Faisal Stadium, matching U23 China against U23 Vietnam.

In the first half, Chinese goalkeeper Li Haoyan maintained his excellent form, making multiple saves and earning a yellow card; the half ended scoreless. In the second half, China took control: Bao Shengxin’s corner from the left assisted Peng Xiao’s header for the second goal of the tournament. Xiang Yu Wang skillfully turned and fired a stunning shot to extend the lead, followed by a SIU celebration. Fan Lide punched Bai Helamu, resulting in a red card, leaving China with 11 players against 10. In stoppage time, Bai Helamu crossed from the left, Wang Yudong calmly slotted the ball in, then took off his shirt and received a yellow card for celebration.

In the end, the U23 Chinese team triumphed over U23 Vietnam 3-0, advancing to the final to face U23 Japan.

Vietnam deployed a 3-4-3 formation with a starting lineup valued at €1.625 million and an average age of 21.2 years; Antonio arranged a 4-4-2 formation with significant changes upfront. Players like Wang Yudong and Bai Helamu started on the bench, reflecting a strategy to strike later. The starting lineup’s value was €3.9 million, more than double Vietnam’s, with an average age of 20.8 years.

Before this match, China had only scored 1 goal in 4 U23 Asian Cup games, but now they blasted in 3 goals — a clear sign of tactical adjustment. China rested one less day than Vietnam, so the coaching staff decided to wear down Vietnam first by fielding rotated players to exhaust the opponent, then bring on main players with superior stamina to exploit Vietnam’s tiring defense. This tactic clearly worked, resulting in a decisive victory for China.

Throughout the game, China had 51% possession and took 16 shots — more than twice Vietnam’s 7 attempts. China had 7 shots on target, 3 more than Vietnam, marking a complete domination in this match.

This time, the U23 Chinese team truly forced their opponents to kneel. After losing 0-3 to China and missing the final, Vietnam’s top starNguyễn Trọng Bắcposted a photo on social media kneeling in apology after the match, captioned: “Sorry everyone!!”