The Chinese coach reveals the secret to their 3-0 victory over Vietnam in the semi-finals of the 2026 U23 Asian Championship.

According to coach Antonio Puche , believing in a ball-control style of play and maintaining relentless effort throughout the 50 days of preparation helped the Chinese U23 team play superiorly, defeating the Vietnamese U23 team 3-0 in the semi-finals of the 2026 AFC U23 Championship.

A 3-0 victory over Vietnam U23 in the Asian U23 Championship semi-finals propelled China U23 into a historic final. At the Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium on the evening of January 20th, coach Antonio Puche's team displayed disciplined play, controlled the game well, and effectively capitalized on opportunities to create an unprecedented milestone for Chinese youth football.

After the match, coach Puche couldn't hide his satisfaction with his players' performance. He emphasized: "We played an excellent game both with and without the ball. The plan was to keep possession for as long as possible. The players displayed great skill and spirit. A performance of a very high standard."

In the semi-finals, the Chinese U23 team surprised everyone by making six changes to their quarter-final lineup. However, this reshuffling did not disrupt the team's stability. On the contrary, they maintained their tight defensive play, effective pressing, and gradually gained control of the midfield. When asked about the decision to rotate the squad so heavily, Coach Puche briefly explained: "Simply because I have very good players."

On the other side of the pitch, the Vietnam U23 team suffered an early setback when center-back Nguyen Hieu Minh sustained a knee ligament injury and had to leave the field in the 30th minute. Losing a key player in the defense caused the red-shirted team to lose their usual solidity. The first half ended goalless, but the turning point came at the beginning of the second half.

In the 47th minute, from a corner kick on the left wing, Bao Shengxin delivered a precise cross for Peng Xiao to head home at the near post, opening the scoring for China. Just five minutes later, Xiang Yuwang received the ball near the penalty area, turned neatly, and unleashed a powerful left-footed shot into the far corner, doubling the lead.

Trailing by two goals, coach Kim Sang-sik brought on a number of attacking players such as Nguyen Thanh Nhan, Nguyen Quoc Viet, and Le Van Thuan. However, the Vietnam U23 team remained frustrated by the opponent's well-organized defense. In the 74th minute, China nearly scored a third goal but it was disallowed for offside. Conversely, Vietnam suffered a further setback when Pham Ly Duc received a red card for a foul on Behram Abduweli.

Coach Puche continued to analyze his team's tactics: "As I said, the players did the right thing by keeping possession in the opponent's half as much as possible. This is crucial because it creates a favorable position for controlling the second ball. After gaining possession, our next strategy was to attack as much as possible."

According to him, today's achievement is the result of 50 consecutive days of work without rest. From watching video footage and high-intensity training to preparatory friendly matches, everything was aimed at building a disciplined and ambitious team. The Spanish coach shared: "I believe that everyone who wakes up in the morning wants to create something new or succeed in their work. But if you only want something without doing anything, you won't get anywhere. You have to believe in yourself and get started. That's the key to success."

The victory against Vietnam helped the Chinese U23 team reach the Asian U23 Championship final for the first time in history. After the match, coach Puche was lifted into the air by the players in a moment of overwhelming joy. He emotionally said: "I think this is a very important moment for Chinese football. They want to improve their football, and we have contributed to that effort."

China's U23 team reveals their "secret" to beating Vietnam's U23 team, leaving all of Asia astonished. Mai Hoa09:59:37 21/01/2026Undeniably, throughout the semi-final match, the Chinese U23 team dominated the Vietnamese U23 team, and what was bound to happen did happen: the 3-0 victory for China stunned not only Vietnam but all of Asia.