After the 3-0 victory over U23 Vietnam in the semi-finals of the 2026 AFC U23 Championship on the evening of January 20 (Vietnam time), coach Antonio Puche expressed his satisfaction with the performance of his students, and affirmed that the ability to control the game is the key factor that brings results to his team.
Speaking at the post-match press conference, coach Puche said that U23 China had strictly followed the tactics set out from the beginning. "The whole team tried to organize well. But the most important thing is to keep the ball in the opponent's half as much as possible. This is very important when there are doubles or similar situations, the team will be in a favorable position to win the ball," he shared.
According to the Spanish strategist, controlling the ball not only helps U23 China limit the counter-attack power of U23 Vietnam, but also creates a premise for continuous attacks. “We aim to keep the ball, control the game, then attack as much as possible. That was the initial idea,” coach Puche emphasized.
Assessing the overall match, Mr. Puche did not hide his pride in the players. “I think U23 China played a great match, both with and without the ball. Our plan was to control the ball as much as possible, and we did it. The players played very well,” he said.
This coach also praised the quality of the squad of U23 China. "The whole team plays at a high level. We have quality players, that's all," Mr. Antonio Puche affirmed.
Towards the final match against U23 Japan, the head coach of U23 China said that the whole team will soon switch focus to the important match ahead.
First of all, enjoy this victory. Tomorrow, we will think about U23 Japan. I know and everyone knows that U23 Japan is an incredible team, but U23 China will strive to play to defeat them," Mr. Puche shared.
