Before the semifinal on 20/1, China was somewhat underestimated against Vietnam, having scored only one goal in four matches, yet secured a convincing 3-0 victory. In this match, coach Antonio's team surprised many by changing more than half of their starting lineup from the quarterfinals and playing an attacking, possession-based style instead of the pragmatic defense seen earlier in the tournament.

"To be honest, this was a slap in the face for me, but I am extremely happy", Dong Fangzhuo said in a video posted on Weibo. "I hope the team can continue to prove me wrong by maintaining this comprehensive and exciting attacking style of play".

Former Man Utd forward Dong Fangzhuo.

The former forward, born in 1985, had previously caused significant controversy by describing China as "like terrible-tasting chocolate" right after the team advanced from the group stage. He felt that the younger players did not truly know how to play football, achieving good results but displaying poor play, and he saw no future for the country's football.

Even after China defeated Uzbekistan in the quarterfinals, Dong maintained his view, changing his opinion only after the performance against Vietnam. "I believe matches like this truly drive the development of Chinese football, showing everyone that we can also control the ball and attack, instead of just defending and playing long balls".

The 90 minutes at Prince Abdullah Al Faisal stadium saw China play their best match of the tournament. The team maintained over 50% possession, completed 465 passes, and had 16 shots with 7 on target, whereas their highest similar statistics in the four previous matches were 40% possession, 335 passes, and 11 shots. Not only did they frustrate Vietnam, but they also scored three goals in the second half through Peng Xiao, Xiang Yuwang, and Wang Yudong. This goal tally equaled the total goals China had scored in their previous 10 AFC U23 Asian Cup final tournaments.

Dong Fangzhuo expressed confidence that the players possess enough self-belief and quality to "win beautifully". He also hoped the team would continue to maintain a positive mindset to face all opponents, rather than selectively displaying it.

"The players need to consistently maintain this spirit and style of play, even in the final against Japan", Dong stated. "If they revert to the old approach of only defending without attacking, it will be meaningless for the development of Chinese football".

Dong Fangzhuo, born in 1985, was the first Chinese player to play for Man Utd, with a contract from 2004 to 2008. However, he was loaned out for the first two years due to paperwork issues. By the time he left the team in 2008, the forward had played only three matches. Afterward, he played in Poland, Portugal, and China, then retired in 2014. For the Chinese national team, Dong scored one goal in 13 appearances.

Besides Dong, former Chinese international Fan Zhiyi also praised the achievements of coach Antonio Puche's team. "I want to thank the young players. They are like a breath of fresh air for football during a difficult period", he said.

Fan has always held a positive view of Vietnamese football. Looking back over the past 12 years, he noted that Vietnam has achieved good results in Asian tournaments, demonstrating consistent performance and continuous development. Therefore, China's victory over Vietnam in Saudi Arabia was considered "the most satisfying in many years".

Previously, in 2013, Fan Zhiyi created a stir when he remarked that the Chinese national team would be surpassed by Vietnam after their team lost 1-5 to Thailand in a friendly match. In 2019, China, led by coach Guus Hiddink, lost 0-2 to Vietnam in an U22-level friendly. Three years later, their senior national team lost 1-3 to Vietnam in the third round of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers – Asian region.

Trung Thu