U20 Women's Asian Cup: Three consecutive wins in the group stage, China advances to the quarter-finals

Reported by journalist Wang Wei. On April 7th at Beijing time evening, in the third round of Group A of the U20 Women's Asian Cup group stage, the Chinese U20 women's football team faced the host Thailand U20 women's football team. After a fierce battle, the Chinese U20 women's football team, with Xiao Yafei's goal, defeated Thailand 1-0, clinching first place in the group and progressing to the quarter-finals of this Asian Cup.

Compared to the previous two rounds, the Chinese U20 women's football team made some rotations in the starting lineup. Forwards Zhou Xinyi and Yu Jiaqi were given starting opportunities, while previously starting forwards Zheng Lu and Lu Jiayu did not start. Key central defender Huang Jiaxin also sat on the bench, and defender Liu Ling entered the starting list.

Chinese U20 women's football team head coach Colin Bell had considerations for rotating both the offensive and defensive ends of the starting lineup. Since China would play the quarter-final just three days after entering the top eight, the team conducted purposeful rotations to manage the squad's physical condition.

In the first two group stage matches, China first defeated Vietnam 3-0, then beat Bangladesh 2-0.

China's final group stage match against the host Thailand would determine the team's opponent in the knockout stage. If China secured the group's top position, it would have a positional advantage in the quarter-final pairing.

After the match against host Thailand began, China dominated. In the 4th minute, a cross from the Chinese U20 women's team inside the box was blocked by an opponent's arm going out for a corner; the referee did not award a penalty but gave a corner kick. In the 6th minute, Zhou Xinyi's long-range shot caused the goalkeeper to fumble, and Yu Jiaqi's follow-up shot went high. In the 14th minute, Zeng Yujia scored a goal, but it was disallowed for offside. In the 22nd minute, Yu Jiaqi's header was saved out for a corner.

In the 29th minute, Zhou Xinyi received the ball in the central midfield seeking coordination with teammates; Xiao Yafei's long-range shot resulted in a saving error by the Thai goalkeeper, and the ball slipped into the net, giving China a 1-0 lead. Subsequently, Thailand intensified their attack, which also provided China more counter-attacking opportunities. China then had multiple chances in the last ten minutes of the first half but did not extend the lead.

In the second half, both sides continued in a tight struggle. After the 70th minute, Thailand increased their offensive pressure, posing significant threats to China's defense. Fortunately, China held off Thailand's attacks in the final moments, ultimately defeating Thailand 1-0 to claim the group's top spot.

After the match, Chinese U20 women's football team head coach Colin Bell said: "We achieved three consecutive wins in the group stage. The matches were very tough; the hot weather posed a great challenge for the players. Our performance today was excellent, entering the knockout stage as group leaders. Next, we will make adjustments and fully prepare for the upcoming quarter-final."

It is worth noting that although this match against Thailand was scheduled for the local evening, the local temperature still reached 33-35 degrees Celsius, greatly testing the players' physical stamina. Colin Bell's personnel choices naturally combined considerations of the schedule and weather.

According to AFC quarter-final pairing rules, the first-place team of Group A will face the third-place team of Group B or C; the second-place team of Group A will face the second-place team of Group B. Thus, China's likely opponents in the quarter-final will be Uzbekistan or the Chinese Taipei women's football team. If China advances to the semi-finals, they will also directly secure a spot for the 2026 Poland U20 Women's World Cup.

China will participate in the quarter-final at 17:00 on April 11th; the quarter-final opponent will be determined on the evening of April 8th.