Chinese fans collectively reacted to the unbelievable draw with Thailand U23.

China U23 secured a dramatic 2-2 draw in their opening friendly after trailing Thailand U23 by 2-0.

China U23 experienced an emotional match against Thailand U23 in the CFA Team China – Xi'an 2026 friendly. The home team had a forgettable first half, conceding consecutive goals and falling behind 2-0. However, in the second half, the players under China's coach demonstrated resilient spirit, scoring two quick goals to secure a valuable point with a 2-2 draw.

This comeback quickly attracted significant attention from Chinese fans. On football forums, many supporters expressed surprise at the team's fighting spirit: "The first half was truly disappointing, but their recovery in the second half is commendable," or "At least we didn't collapse after being down by two goals, which is a positive sign."

Additionally, many opinions showed respect for Thailand U23. Chinese fans praised the Southeast Asian team's attacking organization: "Thailand played very sharply, especially in the first half. They caused our defense considerable trouble," or "Thailand U23 has always been a tough opponent with good technique and high speed."

Nevertheless, some candid viewpoints pointed out weaknesses in the home team, particularly the lack of focus in defense during the first half: "We cannot continue starting so poorly if we want to advance further," or "The defense made too many mistakes; facing stronger opponents would cost us dearly."

Beyond technical aspects, many Chinese fans also viewed this as an experimental friendly tournament. They believe the result is not the most important: "This is an opportunity to test formations and tactics ahead of ASIAD 2026," or "The key is finding suitable players; winning or losing isn't overly crucial."

The draw against Thailand U23 once again highlights the high competitiveness of the CFA Team China 2026 tournament. For China U23, this comeback not only matters in terms of points but also provides the coaching staff with important data for team-building toward ASIAD 2026 – a major goal for the country's youth football this year.

Chinese media unanimously pointed out the mistakes that cost Vietnam U23 the victory.

The 'assassin' 1.81m goal-scorer shone in his debut match for Vietnam U23.