In the quarter-final match held on the evening of January 17, U23 China drew U23 Uzbekistan 0-0 after 120 minutes of play and won 4-2 in the penalty shootout. This is a historic milestone for Chinese youth football when they first reached the U23 Asian Championship semi-finals.
After the match, coach Antonio could not hide his emotions when talking about the home team's achievements. He shared: "There was a big party in the dressing room of U23 China. We are very happy and excited.
The Spanish coach further emphasized: "U23 China is satisfied with everything. We have made history, and this is a dream come true for the whole team. I am really very satisfied with the performance of U23 China today.
Assessing the match, coach Antonio admitted that U23 China faced many difficulties against an opponent with good technical foundation. He said: "U23 Uzbekistan is a very technically strong team, they control the ball well. Therefore, U23 China must play tightly and patiently wait for opportunities.
In the semi-finals, U23 China will face U23 Vietnam. When asked about this opponent, coach Antonio said: "I don't watch the U23 Vietnam match because all my focus is on this match. We will watch their video tomorrow. I know U23 Vietnam because U23 China once faced them in a friendly tournament".
In the opposite direction, U23 Uzbekistan coach Ravshan Khaydarov expressed regret that his team was eliminated despite controlling the game. He highly appreciated the defense organization of U23 China, and made a noteworthy comment about the semi-final match against U23 Vietnam.
The strength of U23 China is discipline and tightness. They often narrow the formation in the middle, forcing the opponent to put the ball to the two wings or use long balls," coach Ravshan Khaydarov analyzed.
When asked about the opponent's weaknesses, the Uzbekistan strategist added: "As for the weaknesses, I believe the U23 Vietnam coaching staff will know how to find them themselves.
