Chinese media exclaims one thing ahead of the U23 Vietnam rematch

As reported by Sina Sports, China’s U23 squad is moving forward with arrangements to play against U23 Vietnam once more in the March FIFA Days, considering it an important trial ahead of the 2026 ASIAD.

Sina Sports notes that after securing the runner-up position at the U23 Asian Championship, China’s U23 team is accelerating preparations for the 2026 ASIAD and is likely to face U23 Vietnam again during the FIFA Days at the end of March, through a four-team friendly tournament held in Xi’an.

Sources reveal that the Chinese Football Association regards Xi’an as a “favorable ground,” where the youth team achieved positive results during the U23 Asian qualifiers last September. Returning to this familiar venue is seen as beneficial for maintaining the team’s psychological stability and facilitating lineup experiments aimed at the ASIAD in Aichi Nagoya.

Sina Sports points out that since Japan has planned training sessions in Europe and South Korea has not finalized its preparation schedule, China’s U23 must seek familiar opponents within Asia. Thailand, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam are the top three invited teams to create a competitive four-team tournament.

Notably, all three opponents recently faced China at the U23 Asian Championship finals. Coach Antonio’s team drew with Thailand in the group stage, defeated Uzbekistan in the quarterfinals via penalty shootout, and notably won 3-0 against Vietnam in the semifinals. Sina Sports believes that rematching these familiar teams will help China reassess its strength and verify its ability to maintain dominance before the ASIAD.

Regarding Vietnam, Sina Sports highlights that the Vietnamese Football Federation has announced it will not maintain the U23 team after the Asian Championshipand will instead focus on building the national U21 squad. This implies that if Vietnam accepts the invitation, they are likely to field a younger team compared to China, Thailand, or Uzbekistan.

Nevertheless, Sina Sports still regards Vietnam as a “formidable opponent,” given the extensive familiarity between the two sides from multiple friendly and official matches. Chinese media believes this mutual understanding will make the potential rematch in Xi’an a significant test, helping China’s U23 accurately evaluate their competitive potential before entering the challenging ASIAD arena.