Xi'an Four Nations Tournament: 1 win and 2 draws, the new U23 national team lineup lacks cohesion but resilience remains.

Report by Chen Yong Thanks to Du Yuezhen's spectacular strike, the U23 national team defeated Vietnam 1-0 in the 2026 CFA China Team · "Silk Road Happy World" Xi'an International Youth Football Championship (hereinafter referred to as the "Xi'an Four Nations Tournament"). Both teams finished with 1 win and 2 draws, but the U23 team placed second due to a lower goal difference.

In this Xi'an Four Nations Tournament, the U23 national team was missing nearly an entire lineup, essentially fielding a squad dominated by U21 (the 2005-born Olympic team, hereafter referred to as the 05 Olympic team) players, making the matches more exploratory. Consequently, the players' adaptation to Antonio's tactics was somewhat lacking, and there were significant issues with team cohesion. However, trailing in two consecutive matches yet equalizing, and securing a win in the third match, still demonstrated the characteristic resilience consistently seen under Antonio's leadership.

Vietnam's team was essentially a U21 squad, making this a near age-level matchup; the average age of the U23 national team was only slightly older by a few months. Antonio continued with a three-center-back formation: goalkeeper Liu Qiwei; three defenders He Yiran, Shi Songchen, and Zhang Aihui; wing-backs Mutalifu and Xuan Zhijian; three midfielders Yang Haoyu, Chen Zeshi, and Mao Weijie; and two forwards Liao Rongxiang and Du Yuezhen. This lineup closely resembled the 05 Olympic team, with nine players being from the 2005-born generation or later, except for Liao Rongxiang and Mutalifu.

After the match began, the U23 national team made numerous errors. While their pressing was intense, their offensive organization lacked effective solutions. A key reason was the players' relatively fixed positioning: apart from the wing-backs moving up and down, most players stayed in their zones, making passing and receiving mechanical and unable to create threats. However, this stable positioning was more effective in pressing and defense.

In a relatively dull match, Du Yuezhen's spectacular strike broke the deadlock, but the game soon returned to a stalemate. Both sides had few chances; Vietnam had a one-on-one opportunity in the second half, but it was thwarted by the desperate chase of two U23 center-backs. Winning this match gave the U23 national team a record of 1 win and 2 draws in the Xi'an Four Nations Tournament, ultimately securing second place.

In this Xi'an Four Nations Tournament, the U23 national team primarily consisted of 05 Olympic team players. Among the 25 players, 17 were age-eligible for the 05 Olympic team, exceeding two-thirds—namely the initially called-up 16 players and the additionally recruited striker Du Yuezhen. Meanwhile, 10 key and rotational players from the U23 Asian Cup runner-up squad were promoted to the senior national team, and Li Hao was absent due to injury.

In the first match against Thailand, the U23 national team's new lineup exposed issues of insufficient磨合 and tactical adaptation, trailing 0-2 in the first half. Fortunately, adjustments led to two equalizing goals in the second half.

In the second match against North Korea, the U23 team's problems were more evident: the opponent's extremely robust style was something the U23 team couldn't adapt to, remaining passive for long periods. Although the U23 team was playing against older opponents, the gap between 21 and 23 years isn't significant, meaning they need to adapt to tougher opponents. Nonetheless, the U23 team tenaciously equalized again, showcasing the "Antonio" hallmark—resilience.

Comparatively, the U23 national team played more steadily in the third match. Although Vietnam had some neat combinations, the U23 team's defensive system was relatively stable. Offensively, they were still lacking, but Du Yuezhen's spectacular strike finally secured a victory, which served as encouragement for the players.