At the pre-semifinal press conference on 19/1, head coach Antonio Puche was asked if China would continue to play pragmatically against Vietnam. He stated that he would keep the answer to himself, and everyone would know once the match began.

The Spanish coach, in fact, kept everything secret from his players, only revealing the plan when China arrived at Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium on the evening of 20/1. "Yesterday, the head coach still said there was no plan. Of course, we did not believe him," Liu Haofan shared. "Before we went out to warm up, he announced the starting lineup, which surprised everyone. Afterwards, the coach instructed us on how we would play against Vietnam."

Vietnam (in red) lost 0-3 to China in the U23 Asian Cup 2026 semifinals, at Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium in Jeddah, Arab Saudi on 20/1/2026. Photo: AFC

Compared to the quarterfinals, head coach Antonio Puche maintained the 5-3-2 formation but made 6 changes. Center-back Liu Haofan replaced He Yiran. The midfield trio of Li Zhenquan, Xu Bin, and Mutellip Iminqari were replaced by Chen Zeshi, Bao Shengxin, and Wang Bohao. Meanwhile, the forward pair Wang Yudong and Behram Abduweli gave way to Kuai Jiwen and Xiang Yuwang. Puche also instructed the team to play offensively from the start.

"The strategy changed. We no longer relied on defense as before," defender Hu Hetao said. "But we believed in ourselves and knew we could make a difference against the opponent."

The subsequent 90 minutes saw China play their best match of the tournament. The team held 50% possession, completed 465 passes, and had 16 shots with 7 on target. In comparison, their highest similar statistics in the previous 4 matches were 40% possession, 335 passes, and 11 shots. Not only did they stifle Vietnam, but they also scored three goals through Peng Xiao, Xiang Yuwang, and Wang Yudong. This goal tally equaled the total China had scored in their previous 10 U23 Asian Cup final tournament matches combined.

After the match, head coach Antonio Puche expressed confidence in the changes due to "many good players." He also instructed his players to maintain possession as much as possible, especially in the opponent's half, and to attack. In contrast, Vietnam's head coach, Kim Sang-sik, admitted he anticipated China's changes but "failed to adapt successfully."

Defender Hu Hetao also noted that continuous victories helped the team build confidence. Liu Haofan affirmed that "China no longer carried any burden after reaching the semifinals."

Starting Liu was a gamble for coach Puche, as the player had just recovered from an injury. The defender had only resumed physical training and jogging less than two weeks prior. He still felt fatigue in his heart and lungs after the match against Vietnam.

Liu personally believes the harmony between the players and the head coach, developed over two years of working together, was a key factor. "The longer the coach leads us, the better we understand his thinking, what he needs, and what he expects the team to achieve. I think that was the key to today's success."

Under the Spanish coach, China consistently broke U23 Asian Cup final tournament milestones. They advanced past the group stage to the quarterfinals for the first time in history, and now reached the final. This also marks the first continental final for a Chinese men's national team since the U19 Asian Championship in 2004, where they lost 0-2 to South Korea.

China also became the second team to keep 5 consecutive clean sheets, following Uzbekistan in 2024. The team will set a new record if they continue not to concede a goal in the final against Japan on 24/1.

Hieu Luong