Latest U23 Asian Cup standings: Three teams advance to quarterfinals, Vietnam secures third consecutive win & Saudi Arabia eliminated, China to face Thailand

On January 13th Beijing time, the third round of the U23 Asian Cup group stage kicked off, ending with two matches early today. Jordan edged out Kyrgyzstan 1-0 for their second straight win, while host Saudi Arabia was defeated 0-1 by Vietnam, marking their second loss. Consequently, the latest standings have been updated: Vietnam leads with three wins advancing as group leaders, Jordan rose from a slow start to claim second place and advance with two wins, Saudi Arabia was eliminated after two defeats, and Kyrgyzstan suffered a third consecutive loss, finishing last and heading home!

Jordan faced Kyrgyzstan and secured a valuable 1-0 victory thanks to a first-half goal, earning three points and locking in second place with six points. Meanwhile, Vietnam and host Saudi Arabia, both with two wins, clashed. Although Vietnam was under pressure and dominated early on, their attacks were ineffective and lacked quality shots. However, with excellent footwork, Vietnam launched sharp counterattacks and scored in the second half to seal a 1-0 shutout of Saudi Arabia. This victory marked Vietnam’s third consecutive win, topping the group ahead of strong contenders Saudi Arabia and Jordan. Vietnam’s rapid progress has truly impressed everyone!

So far, three teams have secured spots in the quarterfinals: Japan, ranked first in Asia, had 6 points after two rounds, and after the third round, Vietnam and Jordan also advanced. Five quarterfinal places remain open, and it’s uncertain who will claim them!

The host nation Saudi Arabia has had a very tough tournament. As the highest-valued team in this Asian Cup and a regular World Cup participant, it’s shocking that they have been eliminated and won’t reach the quarterfinals. Besides a last-minute win against a 10-man Kyrgyzstan, they lost to both Jordan and Vietnam. This indicates that Saudi Arabia’s big-money football strategy has backfired, with domestic players’ performance declining significantly!

According to the latest schedule, China will face Thailand in the third round. Although Thailand currently ranks last in the group, their strength is comparable to Australia and Iraq. Therefore, China must take this match seriously. While a draw would be enough to advance, a loss could mean elimination. Thus, China cannot afford to be careless and should aim for a third consecutive win to top the group and progress to the knockout stage. Let’s wait and see!

Written by / Sports Novel