Dong Lu: China must learn from Vietnam after losing 0-1

China U22 lost 0-1 to Vietnam U22 in the opening match of Panda Cup 2025. Amidst a wave of domestic criticism, veteran commentator Dong Lu emphasized that Chinese football must learn from Vietnam and Southeast Asian teams before talking about bigger goals in the continent or the World Cup.

Losing 0-1 at home and the public opinion shock

The 0-1 defeat to U22 Vietnam was considered a big shock to Chinese fans. Domestic media and experts unanimously criticized, focusing on the players' abilities, coaching staff and the development direction of the Chinese Football Association.

Message from Dong Lu: Set Southeast Asia Milestones Before Dreaming Too Far

Amid the heated debate, Dong Lu was blunt: Chinese football “must look to Southeast Asian teams like Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia to strive for.” He stressed, “If even that goal cannot be achieved, then the so-called “restoring status in Asia” or “challenging the World Cup” is just a pipe dream,” Dong Lu said.

System bottlenecks are identified

• Ineffective professional decisions and lack of clear direction through many generations of players.
• Constant personnel turnover: frequent changes of officials and coaches.
• The development environment is dominated by public opinion, often directed by people who do not understand football.
• High pressure and instability erode the process of identity building.

Suggested model of Morocco and Cape Verde

To escape the cycle of mistakes, Dong Lu suggests following the model of Morocco and Cape Verde, where national teams are largely made up of players playing abroad. This approach, he says, allows teams to be less influenced by domestic media, maintain a professional environment, and more easily build a clear identity.

Based on that argument, Dong Lu believes China can make a breakthrough by calling up a squad of 23 players playing abroad.

Next match and context

On November 15, U22 China will meet U22 Korea in the second match of the 2025 Panda Cup. U22 Vietnam will face U22 Uzbekistan. Previously, in March, Khuat Van Khang and his teammates drew 0-0 with U22 Uzbekistan at the CFA Team China friendly tournament organized by China.

Immediate impact

The opening defeat has put pressure on performance and spirit for U22 China before the confrontation with U22 Korea. Meanwhile, U22 Vietnam has a positive psychological basis when preparing to meet U22 Uzbekistan, a team that was held to a 0-0 draw in the recent confrontation at a friendly tournament in China.

Strategic perspective

Dong Lu’s message sets out a specific goal: narrowing the gap with Southeast Asian teams by stabilizing the structure, improving the quality of decision-making, and reducing public noise. His proposal to look beyond borders—building a team with players playing abroad—is an option he believes can help China escape its current unstable trajectory.