Chinese fans collectively reacted when Vietnam U23 nearly defeated North Korea.

Chinese fans are very concerned about the outcome and closely followed the 1-1 draw between Vietnam U23 and North Korea U23.

Vietnam U23 just concluded their opening match in the CFA Team China – Xi'an 2026 friendly tournament against North Korea. Coach Đinh Hồng Vinh's team started better, controlled the match, and quickly took the lead in the 8th minute thanks to Minh Tâm. Unfortunately, Vietnam U23 allowed North Korea to equalize late in the game, and the match ended with a 1-1 draw, earning one point for each team.

Chinese fans are also very interested in both Vietnam U23 and North Korea U23, the next opponents for the host team in the following two matches. Fans from the populous nation also highly praised Vietnam U23's performance in this match:

"They no longer resemble the AFC U23 Championship team with many new young players, but they cannot be underestimated; the way they led North Korea U23 for most of the match is telling," or "Vietnam U23 has always been a top-quality team in Southeast Asia, capable of explosive play and creating extremely surprising matches."

Chinese fans also highly rated North Korea U23: "It's been a long time since North Korea participated in a major tournament, and they don't seem to have fallen behind at all. This is a mysterious team; we need to study them carefully," or "North Korea U23 may not win, but they are capable of drawing against all three teams in this tournament."

Additionally, Chinese fans believe that since the tournament is friendly, the result is not heavily emphasized: "Vietnam U23 is not the strongest squad; they are only using a U21 lineup to prepare for the future," or "Teams are using this tournament to prepare for ASIAD 2026; they might field reserve teams to hide their tactics."

Through the CFA Team China 2026 tournament, the coaching staff will have the opportunity to thoroughly review and comprehensively evaluate the young players. The important goal is to identify suitable candidates to supplement the squad for ASIAD 2026 in September. This is considered a pivotal stage in the transition process, requiring meticulous preparation both professionally and psychologically.

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