U22 Vietnam achieved an excellent 1-0 victory over U22 China in the opening match of the Panda Cup friendly tournament held in Chengdu last night (November 12). This marks U22 Vietnam’s first win after two previous matches against U22 China resulted in only draws and losses.
U22 China controlled the ball more but could not penetrate U22 Vietnam’s defense (Photo: Sina).
U22 Vietnam’s victory garnered special attention from the Chinese press. Newspaper 163 published an article titled: “U22 Vietnam is still a formidable mountain U22 China cannot overcome.”
In the article, the author emphasized: “U22 China had a disappointing start to the Panda Cup friendly tournament, suffering a 0-1 defeat against U22 Vietnam. In this match, U22 China’s attack lacked sharpness, while the defense made quite a few mistakes. U22 Vietnam capitalized on one of these errors by Wang Shiqin to score the only goal.”
“U22 China entered this tournament with significant personnel losses as several players from Guangdong, Hubei, Shanghai, and Shandong teams could not participate due to commitments at the National Games. Meanwhile, the brightest star, Wang Yudong, was absent due to injury.”
“However, that is no excuse for the defeat. U22 China’s starting lineup featured many national team players such as Behram Abduweli, Xu Bin, Wang Shiqin, Hu Hetao, and was valued four times more than U22 Vietnam’s.”
“Yet, coach Antonio Puche’s team failed to launch attacks, making too many inaccurate passes. Striker Behram Abduweli couldn’t even control the ball. With such a weak performance, it’s normal for U22 China to fail to overcome U22 Vietnam.”
The situation where Liu Haofan clearly pushed Bùi Vĩ Hào in the penalty area, but the referee did not award U22 Vietnam a penalty (Screenshot).
In another article, newspaper 163 emphasized: “Without the referee’s help, U22 China could have lost by an even wider margin against U22 Vietnam.” The newspaper referred to a controversial incident that occurred in the 84th minute.
Player Liu Haofan clearly pushed Bùi Vĩ Hào in the penalty area, but the referee did not award U22 Vietnam a penalty. Newspaper 163 commented: “Liu Haofan clearly pushed his opponent down in the penalty area. Referee Shen Yinhao did not award a penalty, but that was a wrong decision. Liu Haofan clearly pushed with force, causing the opposing player to lose balance and fall. It was an undeniable foul. U22 Vietnam should have been awarded a penalty.”
Newspaper 163 quoted comments from several Chinese fans:
“The players lost on the field. The referee was biased. How shameful.”
“I don’t understand why U22 Vietnam wasn’t awarded a penalty in that situation.”
“Please, referee, officiate accurately. U22 China doesn’t need such biased decisions.”
“A very obvious push by Liu Haofan. Such biased refereeing harms Chinese players.”
Meanwhile, newspaper Sohu commented on the team’s performance: “U22 China dominated possession, but their attack performed poorly. This cost the team dearly with a goal conceded in the 81st minute.”
“In fact, coach Antonio Puche had prepared meticulously for this tournament, compiling a provisional squad of 30 players. However, due to the tournament coinciding with the National Games, coupled with many player injuries, U22 China only called up 19 players for the match against U22 Vietnam.”
U22 Vietnam celebrates their goal against U22 China (Photo: Sina).
“In the first half, U22 China had the upper hand, but Wang Bohao and Behram Abduweli missed several clear chances. In the second half, U22 China’s strikers still proved ineffective, even after coach Antonio Puche brought Xiang Yuwang onto the field.”
“As the attack squandered opportunities, the defense made mistakes. Wang Shiqin’s indecisive clearance allowed Minh Phúc to score the only goal of the match. Furthermore, in the 84th minute, U22 China was lucky to escape a penalty after Liu Haofan clearly pushed Bùi Vĩ Hào in the penalty area.”
On Sina, reporter Triệu Vũ commented: “I don’t understand why U22 China’s defense dropped so deep before conceding. At one point, U22 China only controlled 36% of possession. Keep in mind that for most of the match, coach Puche’s team dominated the play.”
“It was U22 China’s passive play that allowed U22 Vietnam to push forward and score the only goal. Immediately after conceding, U22 China’s defense further showed a lack of concentration. Liu Haofan’s push on the U22 Vietnam striker was too obvious. The referee should have reviewed the replay.”
Reporter Pei Li remarked: “U22 China had home advantage and even the referee’s bias, yet still lost to U22 Vietnam. Can you understand why Chinese fans are angry? Don’t use the excuse of missing players as a shield to cover up U22 China’s weaknesses.”
In the second round of matches, U22 Vietnam will face U22 Uzbekistan, while U22 China will play U22 South Korea. Both matches are scheduled for November 15.
Source link: https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/bao-trung-quoc-binh-luan-khi-doi-nha-that-bai-truoc-u22-viet-nam-20251113015452441.htm
