Aichi Nagoya Asian Games men's football semi-finals: China lost to South Korea 1:2 and missed the final

China News Service, Osaka, Japan, September 30 (Reporter Guo Xuan) In the men's football semifinals of the Aichi Nagoya Asian Games held at Nagai Stadium in Osaka, Japan, on September 30, local time, the Chinese men's football Asian Games team was reversed by the South Korean team 1:2 and missed the final.

The Korean men's football team has fielded strong lineups in recent Asian Games and has won three consecutive championships. For the Chinese team, in this game, Wang Yudong, who was suspended due to accumulation of yellow cards in the quarter-finals, returned to the starting lineup.

After the game started, the South Korean team put pressure on the Chinese team through free kicks and corner kicks many times, but the Chinese team frequently saved the day. In the 22nd minute, Wang Yudong scored alone, helping the Chinese team lead 1:0. This is the first time in 40 years that the Chinese men's football team has scored against South Korea in the Asian Games. However, in the 33rd minute, the Chinese team made a mistake and gave their opponent a corner kick. South Korean player Lee Young-joon scored and equalized the score.

After changing sides and fighting again, both sides created good scoring opportunities. But as the game came to an end, the Chinese team made mistakes on the defensive end. In the 82nd minute, South Korean player Bae Junho scored, and the Chinese team eventually lost 1:2.

Antonio, the head coach of the Chinese team, said after the game that setbacks are part of a long-term struggle. "Football is like a battlefield. As long as the players try their best like in this game, even if they lose the game in the end, they can leave the field with their heads held high."

As a veteran of the team, Zhang Yuning praised the team's performance after the game. "The performance of all the players was great. Losing the goal in the end was indeed a blow, but we still have the task of the third or fourth place finals and we must continue to work hard." He also said that this game proved that the Chinese team has the ability to compete with strong teams in Asia. After that, the players will have higher requirements for themselves in the league, play more high-level intercontinental events, and continue to make progress.

The Chinese team will participate in the bronze medal match on October 3, facing the loser between the host Japan team and Uzbekistan.