In a historic milestone for the Chinese mainland’s youth football program, the U23 team stormed past Vietnam 3-0 in the semifinals of the AFC U23 Asian Cup this Tuesday in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. It marks the first time the Chinese mainland has reached the final of the tournament.
The match kicked off with Vietnam testing the Chinese mainland’s resolve, as Khuat Van Khang forced a brilliant save from goalkeeper Li Hao with a free-kick in the 24th minute. Moments later, Li kept his nation’s hopes alive by denying Nguyen Cong Phuong, preserving his clean sheet since the start of the competition.
After the break the Chinese mainland broke the deadlock. Defender Peng Xiao recovered from a jostle to nod in the opener, sending a clear message to their opponents. In the 52nd minute, Xiang Yuwang showcased individual brilliance, controlling a precise pass before wrong-footing three defenders to double the lead.
The game took a decisive turn in the 73rd minute when VAR ruled out what would have been a third goal for the Chinese mainland due to an offside against Li Zhenquan. Vietnam were soon reduced to ten men after Pham Ly Duc received a straight red in the aftermath of the decision.
Sealing their victory in injury time, substitute Wang Yudong capitalized on a cutback from Behram Abduweli to make it 3-0. With this triumph, the Chinese mainland will face defending champions Japan in the final on Saturday, January 24.
This breakthrough reflects the rapid progress of youth football on the Chinese mainland and sets the stage for a compelling final clash. Fans across Asia will be watching to see if the Chinese mainland can cap this run with their first U23 Asian Cup trophy.
Reference(s):
China powers past Vietnam to make U23 Asian Cup final for first time
cgtn.com
