The second round of the Panda Cup friendly tournament in Chengdu yesterday (November 15) saw many notable developments. Despite a strong effort, U22 Vietnam suffered a 0-1 defeat to U22 Uzbekistan. Meanwhile, host nation U22 China caused a sensation by defeating U22 South Korea 2-0.
Thus, both teams that lost in the first round, U22 China (0-1 to U22 Vietnam) and U22 Uzbekistan (0-2 to U22 South Korea), secured victories in the second round. This creates an unpredictable situation in the race for the 2025 Panda Cup championship.
Consequently, after two rounds, all four teams – U22 China, U22 South Korea, U22 Vietnam, and U22 Uzbekistan – are tied with 3 points. Host nation U22 China leads the standings with a goal difference of +1. U22 Vietnam and U22 South Korea both have a goal difference of 0, but U22 South Korea ranks higher due to scoring more goals. U22 Uzbekistan is at the bottom with a goal difference of -1.
This means that all four teams have a chance to win the championship in the final round. For U22 Vietnam specifically, Coach Dinh Hong Vinh’s squad will lift the trophy if they defeat U22 South Korea by a wider margin than the result of the other match between U22 China and U22 Uzbekistan (if a winner is decided).
Alternatively, if the match between U22 China and U22 Uzbekistan ends in a draw, U22 Vietnam will be champions if they defeat U22 South Korea by any score.
According to tournament regulations, in the event of a tie in points, goal difference will be the first tie-breaking factor considered.
Defeating U22 South Korea is also U22 Vietnam’s only path to the championship. If Coach Dinh Hong Vinh’s side draws or loses to the ‘Land of the Morning Calm’ team, they will not be able to claim the title.
Given that U22 South Korea recently lost to U22 China, Coach Lee Min Sung’s team might not be an insurmountable challenge for U22 Vietnam. In a friendly tournament in Yancheng (Jiangsu) last March, U22 Vietnam secured a regrettable 1-1 draw against U22 South Korea, with Thanh Nhan scoring the opening goal.
The match between U22 Vietnam and U22 South Korea will take place at 2:30 PM on November 18. Afterwards, at 6:35 PM, U22 China will face U22 Uzbekistan.
