China lost 4-0 to Japan in the AFC U23 Asian Cup final, but the runners-up finish marked a boost for China’s soccer reforms.
Japan on Jan. 24th defeated China 4–0 in the final of the AFC U23 Asian Cup, held at the Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
China reached the final after an emphatic 3–0 victory over Vietnam, who went on to claim the bronze medal.
China, known as the Dragons, entered the match with a strong defensive structure, but Japan proved too clinical in the end.
The head coach, Antonio Puche, said the runner-up finish marked the start of a longer journey rather than a conclusion.
“We have the future,” the Spaniard said after the match. “First of all, I give the team a perfect 10,” Puche said. “The team’s performance throughout the tournament has been absolutely amazing. We improved match by match, and this is what we’ve been working toward.”
Defeated but still a hero
Although missing out on the ultimate prize, China’s U23 still have every reason to be proud and will very likely return home to a hero’s welcome.
The U23 final marks the first time a Chinese men’s football team has faced Japan in a continental final in 22years. The senior Chinese national team once suffered a 3-1 home defeat to Japan in the 2004 Asian Cup.
The U23’s breakout comes as a much-needed consolation for Chinese fans who have been frustrated by the failure. Fans and pundits have been urging the league clubs to focus more on talent development at the youth level. They thought that this was a cure for the lack of competitiveness at the elite level.
With the U23 Asian Cup over, Puche said attention is already turning to the next phase.
“We have made progress, and we will continue to close the gap on the top teams in Asia. The journey has only just begun,” he said. “We will keep working hard. We will analyse every match and every detail, look for ways to improve and keep pushing to be better.”
Written by Sha Liu, additional reporting by Xinhua, China Daily and Global Times.
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