New Delhi: The Chinese football team defeated South Korea 3-2 and won their ninth AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2022 title at the DY Patil Stadium, Mumbai, on Sunday, February 06, 2022.
The eight-time champions were led by head coach Shui Qingxia, a five-time winner of the Asian Cup as a player. Qingxia became the first former player to win the title as a coach.
Team China pressed the South Korean defence as China’s Wang Shuang led the charge and tried pressurizing the opponents. Her strategy worked, and China controlled the possession of the ball. Chinese players made timely interceptions whenever the South Korean team tried countering the stronghold by playing long balls.
The constant attack and aggressive scoring attempt frustrated the opponents. Koreans took advantage to take the lead in the 27th minute. Korea’s Choe Yuri received a clean cross from Lee Geummin and shot past the Chinese defence. The goal became the 100th strike of the 2022 edition.
Koreans received another chance with a free kick in the 29th minute. Korea’s Ji So-Yun took the shot and tried to curl it to Son Hwayeon, but the Chinese goalkeeper Zhu Yu prevented the ball, and Son ended up hugging the netting. However, Korea doubled its lead in the 47th minute when Ji converted a Chinese defender’s unintentional ball in the box and won a handball.
Korea was leading when China tried to equalise scores. China’s Jiali Tang struck the ball past Korean keeper Kim Jung Mi in the 68th minute. Jiali received the ball and gave a lifted cross to Zhang Linyan, who successfully headed the ball in the net in the 72nd minute. China levelled scores 2-2.
However, Jiali passed the ball to another substitute, Xiao Yuyi, who calmly scored another goal in the 93rd minute. China snatched the lead with 3-2 points.
While Australian footballer Samantha Kerr’s seven-goal haul in the tournament remained unbeaten as she received the top goal-scorer award, China’s Zhu Yu and Wang Shanshan won the best goalkeeper and most valuable player of the tournament, respectively.
(Avya Mathur)
