Korean soccer has toppled the 'golden generation' that China boasted about. Following the senior national team the day before, the under-16 team also gifted defeat to China, continuing the 'empty score' trend.
The Korea Football Association's former coaches Kim Hyun-jun, Jo Se-gwon, and Lee Dae-ho led the Korean U-16 soccer team, which achieved a 4-3 comeback victory against China in the final match of the 2025 Chinese Football Association (CFA) Four-Nation Friendly Tournament (Peace Cup) held on the 8th at Shenyang Stadium (Korea time).
China made a strong start. Just 7 minutes into the match, defender Lu Chizheng found Korea's net with the opening goal. It seemed that the fruits of China's aggressive investment in youth soccer were finally showing.
However, China's joy was short-lived. Korea quickly turned the game around by scoring 3 goals in the first half. In the 12th minute, Kim Ji-ho (Daejeon Hana Citizen U18, Chungnam Technical High School) scored the equalizer, bringing the game back to square one. He added a remarkable left-footed turning shot to score again in the 43rd minute, completing a multi-goal performance.
Riding the momentum, Korea extended their lead by one more goal. In the 45th minute, Nam Ian (Ulsan HD U18, Hyundai High School) shook the net with a powerful shot inside the box, heading into halftime with a two-goal lead.
In the second half, China's counterattack was formidable. China scored consecutively in the 11th and 13th minutes, quickly leveling the game to 3-3. The substitute Xie Jin recorded 1 goal and 1 assist, putting pressure on Korea's defense.
However, the final winner was Korea. In the 21st minute, during a corner kick, Choi Min-jun (Pohang Steelers U18, Pohang High School) connected with a sharp shot after the ball deflected backward, scoring the fourth goal. This goal proved to be the winning goal as the game concluded with a victory for Korea.
With this, Korea achieved the remarkable feat of defeating the 'host' China, finishing the tournament with three straight victories. Although it was a friendly tournament, the national team also claimed victories against Uzbekistan and Japan, winning 1-0 and 2-1, respectively, before securing the final match.
On the other hand, China finished the tournament in third place on home soil, hanging their heads. Particularly disappointing was the collapse of the much-anticipated golden generation due to defensive instability. Over the past 10 years, China had implemented a government-level 'football rise' policy, envisioning a different future, and showed some achievements in this tournament by drawing 1-1 with Japan and defeating Uzbekistan 2-1. However, they couldn't overcome Korea at the last moment.
Korean soccer has toppled Chinese soccer for two consecutive days. Under the guidance of coach Hong Myung-bo, the Korean national soccer team easily defeated China 3-0 in the opening match of the 2025 East Asian Football Federation (EAFF) E-1 Football Championship (East Asian Cup) held on the 7th at Yongin Mir Stadium.
Chinese media speculated that Korea might face unexpected challenges as the team was composed mainly of players from the K League without European players. Indeed, Coach Hong's team tested various players with a 'surprise three-back' setup. Kim Moon-hwan made his first appearance since last November, and Park Seung-wook received his first senior national team starting opportunity. Kim Bong-soo made his A-match debut.
Nevertheless, Korea showcased overwhelming strength. With a higher level of movement and buildup, they easily created chances by breaking through China's strong forward pressure. The opening goal also came early, as Lee Dong-gyeong scored with a fantastic left-footed curled shot in the 8th minute.
The match remained one-sided. In the 21st minute, Korea added another goal through a powerful header from Joo Min-kyu following a cross from Lee Tae-seok, and in the 12th minute of the second half, Kim Joo-seong scored his debut goal for the national team, extending the lead to 3-0. In contrast, China utilized several substitutes, including Brazilian naturalized player Gui Erlijinao (Serginho), but failed to record a single effective shot throughout the game, experiencing the gap in skill.
[Photo] NetEase, Chinese Football Association.
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