In the 24th minute of the match, Japan found a chance to adapt to their rhythm and managed to score a goal by capitalizing on a mistake by Hong Kong, China. Shota Hino drove the ball out and Hong Kong China's Sun Mingqian made a clearance error in front of the net, passing the ball to Japanese striker Jun Ayukawa in the penalty area. The Japanese defender scored from close range to give them a 1-0 lead.
However, it was reassuring to see that Hong Kong, China did not back down after conceding the goal, and strengthened the utilization of set-pieces in the face of the gap between individual skills and overall cooperation ability. Before the end of the first half, the team's center back Lee Yi Kelly created a threat with a header inside the penalty area, pushing the ball slightly upwards.
