The Vietnamese U23 team collectively pointed out mistakes that led to a missed victory.

Despite participating as a substitute team, Vietnam's U23 surprised the host country's media by completely dominating and nearly defeating North Korea's U23 in their opening match.

The opening match of the CFA Team China Cup 2026 in Xi'an witnessed an unexpected scenario. Under the guidance of coach Dinh Hong Vinh, Vietnam's young 2005-born players confidently entered the game in the 12-degree Celsius cold.

In just 8 minutes, forward Minh Tam (HAGL) punished North Korea's defensive mistake to open the scoring. Although they conceded a 1-1 equalizer in the second half due to personnel disruptions, the performance of the "Golden Star Warriors" left a strong impression on the host country's media.

The China News praised the proactive play of coach Dinh Hong Vinh and his team: "The Vietnamese U23 team surprisingly drew with the North Korean U23 team in Xi'an... Vietnam demonstrated good attacking ability in the first half".

Chinese football experts acknowledged the visiting team's dominance by stating: "The Vietnamese U23 team had more touches, but tight marking prevented them from increasing the score".

In agreement, the Sina described the match as extremely thrilling thanks to Vietnam's fiery spirit: "The Vietnamese U23 team and the North Korean U23 team delivered an extremely exciting match. After 90 tense minutes, the two teams ultimately drew 1-1, sharing the points".

The name Nguyen Minh Tam - a 1.80m tall player developed from the HAGL academy became the focus of attention. The China News asserted: "Nguyen Minh Tam became the hero of the match with his goal and continuous dangerous chance creation".

However, Chinese media also pointed out limitations that Vietnam's U23 needs to address when resting key players: "Marking ability during transition phases needs careful consideration... this draw provides a clear lesson for Vietnam's coaching staff about maintaining focus throughout 90 minutes".

North Korea's equalizer at minute 69 (as recorded by Chinese media) or minute 78 demonstrates that "the visiting team exploited weaknesses in Vietnam's defensive transitions".

Despite a regrettable missed victory, this draw elevated the status of Vietnam's youth football in the eyes of regional peers. This is an important stepping stone for these ASIAD-generation players heading towards the Southeast Asian derby with Thailand on March 28 and the direct confrontation with host China on March 31.