On March 12, Beijing time, Asian football ended a number of key matches, with the final 4 places in the final round of the U20 men's Asian Cup producing the last 2 places, Japan defeating Jordan 2-0 to advance to the last 4, and South Korea defeating China 3-1 to win the top 4 places. The Chinese women's U20 team defeated Laos 8-0 in the third match of the first stage group of the Asian Preliminary Round to advance to the second stage with a record of three wins.
Japan U20 - Jordan U20
Japan showed a strong offensive force in the first half, creating threats on several occasions. Jordan played defensively and counter-attacked, and despite being passive , Japan did not score through a good defensive performance. In the second half, Japan's attacking pressure was too strong, and penetration on the flanks and ribs repeatedly forced holes in the Jordanian defense. Under the continuous attack, the Japanese team quickly scored, and Kazusai Sakamoto received a breakthrough cross from Saita Kitano to push the goal. Soon after, Kitano Satachiki's shot was saved, and Naoki Kumada nodded in front of the goal to give Japan a 2-0 lead. Trailing Jordan, they stormed at the last minute to try to regain the disadvantage, but Japan's defensive cooperation was very tacit, and the players complemented each other, leaving no good offensive opportunities for the opponent, and finally Japan defeated Jordan 2-0 to advance to the last four and won a place in the World Youth Championship. In the semifinals, Japan will compete with Iraq for a place in the final.
China U20 - South Korea U20
The Chinese team actively fought with the South Korean team from the beginning of the game, and in the first 5 minutes of the game, the field was full of gunpowder, although the South Korean team had a clear advantage in possession, but in the face of the fierce pressing and good defensive performance of the Chinese team, it did not create too many attacks, and the only threatening attack was successfully defused by goalkeeper Li Hao. Just two points into the second half, China's high pressing forced South Korea to make a mistake at the back, and Mutalip showed his ability to cut inside and score a zero-degree angle. Trailing South Korea, they continued to storm and soon created a penalty opportunity to equalize by Kim Yonghak. In the final stage, the Chinese team showed tenacious willpower, dragging the game into overtime with a passive situation. However, many players of the Chinese team suffered leg cramps due to excessive physical exertion, and 3 people were carried out of the field on stretchers one after another, resulting in a significant decline in the strength of the Chinese team. In overtime, the Chinese team was still unable to withstand the onslaught of the South Korean team, and conceded 2 goals in a row, and finally the Chinese team lost 1-3 to the South Korean team and missed the last four. South Korea will compete with Uzbekistan for a place in the final.
Although the Chinese team ended their journey to the U20 Asian Cup early, the performance of these young players was unanimously praised by fans and media. In particular, they showed tenacity and hard work. Even though the Chinese team encountered a variety of adverse situations during the game, such as unfair penalties from the referee and injuries to players, they did not give up and fought until the last moment of overtime. In addition, the team's ability to take advantage of chances is impressive, they have been the first to score in four games, and the attackers in the team can always take advantage of the few opportunities to score. However, there is still a big gap between the team's overall strength opponents, and conceding 6 goals in 4 games is very telling.
U20 Women's Asian Cup Qualifiers - China - Laos
China, who won all their first two games and scored 20 goals, continued their excellent form and strong attack in the third game of the group, scoring three goals in a row in the opening 10 minutes, and Ouyang Yuhuan's cross in the opening two minutes was refracted into the goal. Immediately afterwards, Yin Lihong and Huo Yuexin played wonderful passes and cooperated to score the goal. In the 10th minute, Fok Yuexin showed his ability to score with a volley from inside the box. Two minutes later, Ouyang Yuhuan ran a single knife opportunity to easily push and score. China, who led by four goals, slowed down their attack, but they scored another goal in the 36th minute when Huo Yuexin cut in and volleyed. In the second half, Huo Yuexin, who had scored 2 goals, was unstoppable, and with the full support of her teammates, she scored 3 goals in a row, first receiving Ouyang Yuhuan's bottom-line cross and scoring a hat-trick, and then scoring a 1-meter smart shot in front of the goal to complete the big four, and then nodding after the goal, helping China win 8-0 over Laos.
The first stage of the qualifiers Group A was over, and the Chinese team made three consecutive wins to advance perfectly, scoring 20 goals in three games without conceding one, not only playing with momentum, playing strength, but also showing excellent competitive condition, laying the foundation for the second stage of the tournament. It is worth mentioning that the two major attackers of the Chinese team performed brilliantly, Huo Yuexin's breakthrough ability and ability to seize opportunities are outstanding, she scored 8 goals in 3 games. Ouyang Yuhuan has good passes, not only can he score goals himself, but also creates opportunities for his teammates.