China reaches Asian Games men's football semifinal after 28-year wait

NAGOYA, Japan, Sept. 26 (Xinhua) -- China reached the semifinal of the men's football tournament at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games for the first time in 28 years after beating Thailand 3-0 in the quarterfinal on Saturday.

Photo: Agencies

Peng Xiao forced an own goal before Hu Hetao and Zhang Yuning added a goal apiece as China secured a convincing victory and booked a semifinal clash next Wednesday against South Korea, which advanced to the last four with a 4-0 victory over Vietnam.

China topped Group B with one win and two draws, while Thailand finished second in Group A with two wins and one defeat.

China head coach Antonio Puche had fielded exactly the same starting lineup in all three group matches but made four changes for the quarterfinal.

The changes also saw China switch from a counterattacking approach to a more aggressive high-pressing style, and the move paid off as China dominated from the outset.

Zhu Chenjie came close to opening the scoring with a header in the third minute, but Thailand goalkeeper Chommaphat Boonloet made a fine save.

In the 31st minute, Wu Xi and Peng Xiao created successive chances inside the box, only for Boonloet to deny China again.

China's sustained pressure finally paid off in first-half stoppage time. Wu Xi delivered a free kick from the right, and after Peng's shot was parried by Boonloet, the ball rebounded off a Thai defender and into the net. China took a 1-0 lead into halftime.

Just two minutes after the restart, China doubled its advantage. Kuai Jiwen's cross from the right was blocked, but Hu Hetao followed up with a powerful strike.

Forward Zhang Yuning came on in the 58th minute and made an immediate impact. Five minutes later, he met Zhu Chenjie's headed assist with a close-range finish to put China 3-0 ahead.

Thailand pushed more players forward in an attempt to get back into the game, but goalkeeper Li Hao dealt with the few shots on target that came his way.

China finished with 16 shots, 12 of them on target, while Thailand managed eight shots, with only two on target.

"Throughout the match, we showed a very high level in terms of running, competing, attacking and defending. We are very happy to bring this kind of joy and optimism to Chinese football. Now that we have reached the last four, we will continue to give our all and strive to go further," said Puche.

The Spanish coach emphasized that the lineup changes should not be seen as rotation for rotation's sake.

"There is no so-called rotation. We simply select the players who are best suited to the characteristics of each match. I don't believe in making changes just for the sake of rotation," he said.

"We have very good players. Against different opponents, we select those who are best suited to the specific demands of the match."

Looking ahead to the match against South Korea, Puche acknowledged the strength of China's semifinal opponent.

"South Korea has been champion at the last three Asian Games and they are a very strong team. Some of their players played the World Cup just two months ago. They are one of the top teams in Asia," he said. "Regardless of the opponent, we will rely on our preparation, passion and fighting spirit to compete to the best of our ability and show our competitiveness."

"Against such an extremely difficult opponent, we will make thorough tactical and psychological preparations and fight for every opportunity with the unity and fighting spirit of the whole team," he added.