Moqi. Host team China has made a big upset by defeating Pakistan and has made it to the final of the Asian Champions Trophy. China defeated Pakistan 2-0 (1-1) in a shootout in the match held at the training base of Hulunbuir.
This is the first time that the Chinese team has reached the final of this tournament. Pakistan will now play for the bronze medal. Pakistan will face the losing team of the second semi-final between India and Korea. Pakistan is the second most winning team in this tournament.
China goalkeeper Kaiyu Wang performed brilliantly in the shootout while Benhai Chen and Chanliang Lin scored for China. Earlier in the match, Yuanlin Lu gave China a 1-0 lead in the 18th minute.
Overall, the first semi-final was a thrilling one and China challenged Pakistan's hopes of reaching the final right from the start. China played a strong game, keeping possession and creating early chances. The hosts enjoyed a lot of support from the home crowd.
After a goalless first quarter, Yuanlin Lu's dragflick in the 18th minute gave China a 1-0 lead from a penalty corner. After this, Pakistan got some chances but could not score due to China's excellent defense.
Before the match, China coach Jin Seung Yu said, “This is an important match for us and we are fully prepared. This is the first time that China is playing in the semi-finals of such a big competition and that too in front of the home crowd.”
Pakistan's Ahmed Nadeem scored in the 37th minute but China did not allow any more goals after that.
China played with discipline throughout the match and kept Pakistan's attack under control. Pakistan tried to score in the last quarters, but China thwarted all their attempts and the match ended with a score of 1-1, after which China won in the shootout.
China's Yuanlin Lu was named the 'Hero of the Match'. He said, “We had worked hard for this match. We discussed strategies and then prepared as a team. It also helped that we had played a few matches against Pakistan before the tournament and won some of them, which boosted our confidence. This was my first time playing in the Asian Champions Trophy and it is very special for me to be named the 'Hero of the Match'.”
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Image Credit: Khas-Khabar.