U23 China did not concede any goals until the final. But in the championship match, they lost to U23 Japan 0-4. According to coach Antonio Puche, U23 Japan surpassed his team in both tactics and playing style.
He said: "Congratulations to the U23 Japan team for winning the championship. Their level is extremely high, with excellent players and a very strong squad. I am not happy, after such a result, I cannot be satisfied.
However, I am very proud of my players. Defeat of course brings disappointment, but we must maintain our spirit. U23 Japan is at a different level, but we tried our best. For me, the first two goals conceded were difficult situations, but my team fought to the end.
In the first goal conceded, the ball touched the feet of a U23 Chinese player after an opponent's shot, making goalkeeper Li Hao unable to stop it. In the second goal conceded, the U23 Chinese defender lost the ball in front of the penalty area, creating an opportunity for the U23 Japanese player to finish from distance to score.
The score was too harsh and in the match, the ball simply bounced differently.Last time, the ball hit our players and went out, but unfortunately today, the ball went into the net again.
I believe that my players really wanted to win and fought their best, even when they were down four goals.We have never fallen into such a situation, but the players showed great spirit until the final whistle," Mr. Puche added.
For U23 Japan, this victory helped them successfully defend their championship title and be the first team to win this tournament for the third time. According to coach Go Oiwa, Japan's football development programs have been successful with the championship of the current U23 team.
Our players have made remarkable progress and I am very happy that we have won the championship. This shows that our programs are bringing good results. The level of competition has become very high, so we approach each tournament with the mindset that it will be very difficult.
Taking the lead early and scoring the second goal helped us control the match effectively. However, we always maintained our focus until the final whistle and never were negligent.
We have gone through some difficult matches and progressed step by step. I predict that future tournaments will also have many fierce matches, so we want to ensure that we prepare carefully for these big tournaments”.
U23 Japan has the youngest squad in this year's AFC U23 Championship. However, they have shown superior class, winning the tournament very convincingly. This is also the squad that Japanese football is aiming for to prepare for the 2028 Olympics.
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