Children play football at a school in Jiaojiang district, Taizhou. [Photo/the official news website of Taizhou]

China's U23 football team secured a historic 3-0 victory over Vietnam on Jan 20, securing their first-ever final spot at the U23 Asian Cup. The team's impressive performance, capped by a stoppage-time goal from Wang Yudong, sent waves of excitement through the country's soccer fans.

One of the stars of the match was Wang, a player from Jiaojiang district in Taizhou, East China's Zhejiang province, reflecting the area's decades-long commitment to youth football development. In Jiaojiang, the football scene is thriving, supported by a network of 29 national and provincial football-specialized schools. Every day, over 50,000 children, including young talents like Wang, play and train in football. Local schools emphasize both skill-building and teamwork, laying a solid foundation for future football stars.

Jiaojiang's football ecosystem is further strengthened by the Taizhou Ostrich Football Club, which has developed a comprehensive talent pipeline. With over 40 coaches across more than 70 schools, many young athletes are following a clear path from local school teams to elite district-level squads, while some, like Chen Mingjun, are already gaining exposure abroad.

Moreover, technological innovation plays a key role in Jiaojiang's development strategy, enhancing player training and performance tracking.

The city's first digital football lab, equipped with AI tracking systems, captures player data to optimize training programs, enabling athletes to progress through data-driven insights.