Just one minute away from victory

I saw the victory of my hand, but because of the last minute, the lack of concentration turned into a draw. On the evening of July 9, the Chinese women's football team drew 2:2 with the host South Korean team in the first round of the East Asian Cup, losing a good game.

However, the fighting spirit shown by the Chinese girls in the game is commendable. Head coach Milicic ushered in the phased exam for the first time after coaching for a year. His tactical design was also shown in this game. The rear was more stable, and the Chinese women's football team could become better.

Reporter Yin Chengjun reported that there are many good warm-up opportunities, and unlike men's football team, the women's football team does not have many opportunities to compete. After the journey to the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023, the girls of the Chinese women's football team basically have no official matches to play. Under the leadership of the new coach Milicic, they took every opportunity to compete with the world's strong teams, and fought with Australia, the Netherlands and the United States respectively. At the Yongchuan Invitational Tournament held in April this year, the Chinese team won the championship, but the opponent's strength was not very strong.

This East Asian Cup is undoubtedly the most important warm-up opportunity for women's football girls to go ahead of two important events in the Asian Cup and Asian Games next year. They must seize it and strive to gain something. The Chinese team went to South Korea this time and faced the host in the first game. On July 13, they will also compete with the Chinese Taipei team in the second round, and then have the final confrontation with the Japanese team on July 16. These three games are of great value, among which the Japanese team is also the main competitor of the Chinese women's football team to compete for the Asian overlord.

Therefore, although the East Asian Cup is a small test, it is of great significance. In addition, the World Cup will be held in 2027, and the women's football team will be expanded to 16 teams in the 2028 Olympics. The Chinese women's football team will have a arduous task in the next three years, and the running-in time is urgent.

The two leads lost a good game

For the host South Korean team, the Chinese women's football team is not worried about it. They have been unbeaten in 10 games in recent battles between the two sides. The record of 5 wins and 5 draws gives them enough confidence to start the East Asian Cup.

Sure enough, although the Chinese team did not make an offensive posture after the start of the game, they seized the opportunity in the 15th minute and took the lead early. Kim Kun made a cross from the right, and the Korean defender headed the ball in the penalty area to clear the ball, but Yao Wei got it directly. She broke the deadlock with a powerful shot.

The Chinese team's lead allowed the South Korean team to speed up the offensive speed. They are good at grasping the pass between the Chinese team's central defender and the full-back, but the effect is not ideal. The Chinese team appropriately retracted the formation after leading and wanted to stabilize the situation.

At the end of the first half, the South Korean team passed the ball from the right to the Chinese team's goal. Goalkeeper Pan Hongyan saved the ball, and the South Korean team's full-back Zhang Seqi scored a goal, and the two sides scored a 1:1 draw.

The South Korean team took advantage of their home court to have a certain initiative on the court, while the Chinese team defended and counterattacked, patiently looking for opportunities. In the 66th minute, the opportunity came again. Chen Qiaozhu made a high ball from the left, Yao Wei headed the ball, and Shao Ziqin used his height to push the ball into the goal, and the Chinese team led 2:1.

For the Korean team, there is not much time left. Just as the game was about to end 1:2, the South Korean team tied the score again. Chi Xiaoran's world shot outside the penalty area caught Pan Hongyan off guard, the ball flew into the net, and the game ended.

Attention needs to be strengthened,

lead twice and tied twice. This draw is very unwilling for the Chinese women's football team. This East Asian Cup Chinese team sent a lineup that combines new and old, which has high combat effectiveness. In this game, Wang Shuang, Wu Haiyan and Yao Wei, who won the first Women's Football AFC Champions League for Wuhan, all started the game. Among them, Wu Haiyan, the back-end defender, played the whole game, and Wang Shuang was replaced at the last moment. The persistence of the two veterans also gave the women's football newcomers great motivation.

coach Milicic makes full use of the technical advantages of midfielders Yao Wei and Wang Shuang, and repeatedly creates breakthroughs in the South Korean defense line. Yao Wei scored a goal and an assist to become the most active member of the Chinese team in this game.

1.79 meters high center Shao Ziqin was also highly valued under Milicic. At the Yongchuan Invitational Tournament two months ago, she performed a "hat trick" against the Thai team, which made the fans' eyes shine. In this game, she took advantage of her height and received a header from Yao Wei, pushed the ball into the South Korean team's goal, and took a 2:1 lead. The young center will have more opportunities to show off her next.

However, the shiny on the offense still cannot cover up the loopholes in the defense line. The women's football girls were twice ahead and equalized, all because they were not focused enough and missed people while defending, causing a regretful situation of losing the ball.

In fact, the Chinese women's football team has always been known for their tough defense. Although they lost two goals in this game, it was not a gap in strength, but an negligence in concentration. If Milicic can further strengthen the construction of the defense line, the girls still have room for improvement in the next game of the East Asian Cup.