After semifinal defeat, U23 Vietnam to face U23 Korea in the third-place playoff

Compared to the quarterfinal, head coach Kim Sang Sik made just one change to the starting lineup, with Công Phương replacing Lê Viktor. Meanwhile, U23 China made as many as six changes, particularly in attack, clearly showing head coach Antonio Puche Vicente’s intention to shift from a defensive approach to a more proactive attacking style. The East Asian side pushed their lines high, controlled the midfield and applied pressure from the outset, causing U23 Vietnam some difficulties in building up their play.

In the first half, U23 China enjoyed 63% possession, but their attacking moves lacked sharpness and were largely limited to off-target attempts. On the other hand, although U23 Vietnam did not create many chances, they still produced several notable moments. In the 27th minute, from a free kick near the edge of the penalty area, Khuất Văn Khang curled a dangerous effort that forced goalkeeper Li Hao into a fine save. Two minutes later, Công Phương fired a shot that deflected off a Chinese defender, bounced and headed toward the top corner, but the opposing goalkeeper once again made an excellent stop.

The turning point of the match came in the 30th minute when center-back Nguyễn Hiểu Minh picked up an injury and was forced to leave the field. From that moment on, U23 Vietnam’s defense came under increasing pressure. Although they held firm through the remainder of the first half, the net behind goalkeeper Trung Kiên was breached early in the second half. In the 48th minute, from a corner kick, center-back Peng Xiao rose highest to head home from close range, giving U23 China the lead. Just two minutes later, confusion in man-marking through the middle allowed the opponents to combine, before Xiang Yuwang fired a low shot to make it 2–0.

After conceding twice, head coach Kim Sang Sik introduced a series of forwards such as Đình Bắc, Văn Thuận, Thanh Nhàn and Quốc Việt in an effort to boost the attacking threat. However, a lack of control in midfield left the attackers short of the necessary support. The situation became even more difficult in the 74th minute when Phạm Lý Đức was shown a red card and sent off.

Despite being reduced to ten men, U23 Vietnam continued to push their lines forward and created several chances in the closing stages, but either failed to break through the U23 China defense or were denied by the outstanding saves of goalkeeper Li Hao. In stoppage time (90+8), from a swift counter-attack, Wang Yudong fired a direct shot to seal a 3–0 victory for U23 China.

The defeat meant that U23 Vietnam were unable to reach the final as fans had hoped. Nevertheless, the journey of head coach Kim Sang Sik and his players at the AFC U23 Asian Cup 2026 still left many strong impressions: a perfect record in the group stage, eliminating hosts U23 Saudi Arabia, a dramatic quarterfinal victory over U23 UAE, and reaching the continental Top 4 for only the second time in history.

Match Schedule (Vietnam Time)

Third-place Playoff
10:00 PM, January 23: U23 Vietnam vs U23 Korea

Final
10:00 PM, January 24: U23 China vs U23 Japan