East Asian Cup: Chinese women s football team draws Japan 0-0, and has two shocks in stoppage time, making progress over the first two rounds

The 2025 East Asian Cup will end today, and the Chinese women's football team also ushered in the final round of the game. The game against Japan was scheduled in the afternoon. China had previously been tied by South Korea 2-2 and narrowly defeated Taipei, China 4-2. Japan defeated Taipei, China 4-0, and tied by South Korea 1-1. The first team wins this game and wins the championship directly. The first team loses the game is likely to be third. The draw depends on the score of South Korea vs. Taipei, China, to determine the championship.

The two teams have faced each other 12 times in the past 12 years, and the Chinese women's football team has only won 3 wins, 2 draws and 7 losses. The last victory in the Asian Cup in 2022, and China won the semi-finals with a penalty shootout. In the last three East Asian Cups, the Chinese women's football team has not scored.

Japan had the advantage in the first half and scored a goal in the 7th minute, but fortunately it was offside and ineffective. After that, the two teams had offensive and defense, China shot more and Japan's offensive threats, and the score was still 0-0. In the second half, Japan strengthened its offense, and China also had a good opportunity to counterattack, and each failed to make a single shot. In stoppage time, Pan Hongyan failed to clear the siege after attacking and resolving the single shot. Japan's magical shot missed the space gate outside the penalty area, and Japan's single shot did not enter afterwards. China was a little lucky when it was two terrifying moments.

After the game, China 0-0 Japan, with a significantly superior shot number. Unfortunately, it was not sure. This East Asian Cup achieved a record of one win, two draws and five points. From being besieged by South Korea in the first half of the first game, to being counterattacked by Taipei in the Chinese second half of the last round, and to being played back and forth with Japan within 90 minutes, the performance of the Chinese women's football team has improved in this game, at least there has been no scene of being besieged for a long time. At 6:30 pm, South Korea will play against Taipei, China. With the advantage of home games and its strength, it is not difficult for South Korea to win. The main suspense lies in the score. South Korea won the championship with 4 goals.

Since the Australian coach took office, the Chinese women's football team has played a total of 17 games, achieving 7 wins, 5 draws and 5 losses. The opponents who won seven games are all very weak, including two wins in Vietnam, Uzbekistan, and Chinese Taipei, and narrowly defeated a local club B team in the United States. Previously, facing the top 30 teams in the world, no wins, draws and loses to Australia, losing to the Netherlands, Mexico, and the United States, and draws against Canada and South Korea.

In yesterday's men's group match, Japan scored with a flash breakout in the opening game, winning the host South Korea 1-0, and Jaymeenliang also became the Golden Boot with 5 goals in 3 games; and relying on Huang Zhengyu's goal, China, Hong Kong won the third place 1-0, continuing the law of having to win and never reach the bottom in each session. Zhang Yuning scored once and was ineffective, and one shot was blocked by the opponent with his hands. In addition, China had two chances to hit the post.

After the end of the East Asian Cup, the Chinese men's and women's football teams will have no major competitions to play this year, and warm-up matches will be arranged in the second half of the year. Among them, the women's football team will go to Australia to participate in the Asian Cup in March next year, with the goal of competing for the qualification of the Women's Football World Cup held in Brazil in June 2027. The next official match of the men's football team will have to wait until the Saudi Asian Cup in early 2027. During this period, there will be one and a half years left for the men's football team to select coaches and update, and there will be no shortage of warm-up matches.