U22 Vietnam 1-0 U22 China: impressive media

Vietnam U22 opened the 2025 Panda Cup with a 1-0 victory over China U22, a result that received many positive reviews in the region. Chinese press admitted that the home team made defensive mistakes and wasted opportunities, while Southeast Asian newspapers emphasized the discipline, organization and stability of Vietnam U22.

Clean, experimental opening

The 1-0 victory was not noisy but enough for a clean start for U22 Vietnam. This was a test match for the team, in which Pham Minh Phuc and his teammates showed a solid approach, prioritizing discipline and taking advantage of opportunities. On the contrary, despite playing at home, U22 China continued to show familiar problems.

Chinese media: ball control but lack of ideas

• CCTV Sports: pointed out many defensive mistakes, along with waste in important opportunities.
• Sohu Sports: Admitting that the home team had superior ball possession but lacked ideas in development, and their attacks lacked sharpness.
• Sina Sports: Emphasizes the young and disjointed squad due to overlapping match schedules, causing disjointed play.

Synthesizing perspectives, most Chinese media acknowledged that U22 Vietnam deserved to win thanks to discipline and efficiency at decisive moments.

Southeast Asia: praise for “professional victory” and stability

• Liputan6(Indonesia): calling this a “professional victory”, emphasizing the stability that Vietnamese youth football maintains in the region.
• Thairath(Thailand): U22 Vietnam is assessed to have a good playing style even though they are not superior in terms of physique.
• Harian Metro(Malaysia): consider the result as an affirmation of Vietnam's position as the top group in Southeast Asia, even at a friendly tournament.

The difference: discipline and efficiency

In a match where China U22 had more possession according to local reports, Vietnam U22 stood out for their discipline and organization. The way they operated focused, limited errors and exploited their opportunities well was the real difference on the scoreboard. This is the type of match where efficiency is as important as, if not more so, than the number of set-pieces.

Judging from the press response, U22 Vietnam did not need to create too many blows to decide the match; instead, it was about controlling risks, preserving structure, and then taking advantage of the moment. On the contrary, U22 China had problems at both ends of the field: defense was not solid and attack lacked connection, leading to the feeling of "many balls but few ideas".

The meaning behind the opening match of Panda Cup 2025

Although the Panda Cup is just a friendly tournament, this victory still sends a clear message. For U22 China, the problems in the youth team have not been completely resolved despite heavy investment. For U22 Vietnam, this is another sign of stability and system, even when rotating the force.

Looking more broadly, the gap between U22 Vietnam and football nations once considered superior is being narrowed in a substantial way: through tactical discipline and efficiency entering the decisive moment. That is also the reason why the 1-0 victory in the opening match received widespread recognition from the media in and outside the region.

CTVX