Although Son Heung-min was absent, Hong Myung-bo's team was steadfast. Furthermore, China was much weaker than expected.
The South Korean team, led by coach Hong Myung-bo, defeated China 3-0 in the opening match of the 2025 East Asian Football Federation (EAFF) E-1 Championship (East Asian Cup) held at Yongin Mir Stadium on the 7th. With this victory, South Korea has positioned itself favorably to solidify its lead in the group ahead of the second match against Hong Kong scheduled for the 11th.
Despite the absence of captain Son Heung-min, there was no sign of instability. In fact, the national team maintained control throughout the match with a solid organization and quick transitions, scoring the opening goal with Lee Dong-kyung's precise long-range shot, followed by consecutive goals from Jumin-kyu and Kim Joo-seong, decisively ending the contest early.
On the other hand, China, under the management of Dejan Jurjevic for the first time, suffered a shocking defeat, completely falling short in performance. In particular, despite having led age-group national teams against Korea, Jurjevic had shown confidence before the match, but the result was disastrous.
The atmosphere in China has also rapidly cooled. Until before the match, Chinese media were filled with confidence that 'Korea without Son Heung-min could be defeated', but their attitude changed completely at the end of the match.
Sohu.com criticized, 'China ultimately faced a predicted defeat. The reality of Chinese football, which has not changed in 20 years, is clearly revealed.'
They emphasized, 'The EAFF Championship is a stage where the pure competitiveness of the Super League, K League, and J League is revealed as it consists solely of domestic league players without foreign players.'
The K League and J League have secured competitiveness through a systematic system, youth development, and stable league operations for a long time, while the Chinese Super League is criticized for lagging significantly in quality due to persistent corruption, match-fixing, and structural inefficiencies.
Sohu.com added, 'In the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League, the contributions of foreign players can somewhat mask the gap in strength, but in tournaments like the EAFF, where only domestic players participate, the true weaknesses are fully exposed.'
The issues run deeper. It is not something that can be solved simply by changing the coach's tactics or substitutions. 'The Chinese players did their best, but the system itself is the problem. It was the same 10 years ago, and if there is no change, it won’t be different in 10 years.' They warned, 'Without fundamental reforms, securing international competitiveness is impossible.'
There has also been a sober assessment of the performance itself. 'From the early stages of the match, we were completely caught up in Korea's tempo. We cannot blame the hot weather. The Korean players had the same conditions. However, from the moment the Chinese players stepped onto the field, they seemed stiff and unresponsive, which may be due to the low intensity of the Super League.'
China's Jurjevic stated, 'In football, attack and defense cannot be viewed separately. Some people think I emphasize attack more. But this varies depending on the opponent. As I said, Korea is a very strong team and deserved to win today. Korea pressed us less in the second half, which allowed us to play better.'
Ultimately, Chinese football has lagged behind Korea in not only technology, physical strength, and organization but also in game tempo, rhythm, and mentality. Short-term excuses are no longer acceptable. Without fundamental changes, challenging for the top in Asia seems distant.
[OSEN]