Former Manchester United star Dong Fangzhuo: The victory against Vietnam U23 was a slap in the face for me.
Witnessing the transformation of the Chinese U23 team to defeat Vietnam 3-0 in the semi-finals of the 2026 AFC U23 Championship, former striker Dong Fangzhuo admitted his mistakes and praised his team's attacking style of play.
China's U23 team pulled off one of the biggest surprises in the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup semi-finals with a dominant 3-0 victory over Vietnam's U23 team. This result not only propelled the team into the final but also forced former Manchester United striker Dong Fangzhuo to publicly admit his earlier negative assessments.
A tactical transformation and a slap in the face of prejudice.
In a video posted on the social media platform Weibo shortly after the match, Dong Fangzhuo couldn't hide his emotion and astonishment. "Honestly, this is a slap in the face for me, but I'm incredibly happy," the former star shared. This admission stemmed from his own experience of comparing the team to "a bad-tasting chocolate bar" after witnessing their poor performance in the group stage.
Ahead of the semi-finals, the Chinese U23 team was considered the underdog against the Vietnamese U23 team due to their poor scoring form, with only one goal in four matches. However, coach Antonio Puche Vicente implemented a personnel revolution, changing more than half of the starting lineup, abandoning their pragmatic defensive style in favor of an attacking, proactive ball-controlling approach.
Dominance in professional performance indicators.
The 90 minutes at the Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium witnessed a completely different U23 China team. They were no longer relying on long, hopeful passes, but instead displayed fluid, coordinated passing combinations. The statistics clearly demonstrated their complete dominance over U23 Vietnam:
- Ball control:Over 50%.
- Number of passes:465 passes.
- Number of shots:15 times.
Three goals from Peng Xiao, Xiang Yuwang, and Wang Yudong in the second half crushed all of Vietnam U23's efforts. Notably, the number of goals scored in this match equaled their total goals from 10 previous matches in the AFC U23 Asian Championship finals combined.
A new future and challenges await the Japanese U23 team.
Dong Fangzhuo asserted that the willingness to take possession and attack is the real driving force behind the development of Chinese football. He argued that this victory is the clearest evidence that young players have the ability if placed within a suitable tactical system.
Looking ahead to the final against strong opponent U23 Japan, the former Manchester United striker urged his younger teammates to maintain their confidence and consistent playing style. According to him, reverting to the old, negative defensive approach would render the recent historic victory meaningless.
