In the group stage, which follows the rules of the tournament, the five teams are in the thick of the action. In a key matchup, Japan, even after deducting three points from its head-to-head score, still has an overwhelming seven-point lead, making it difficult for even Palestine, which has played one less round, to shake its first-place position in the group. As for the Yemeni team's ranking, all will depend on whether the Palestinians can get an emphatic win against Laos.
Meanwhile, an unexpected result was revealed in another match. Hong Kong, China's youth team faced Timor-Leste, considered one of the weakest teams in world soccer, and lost 1-2, a result that came as a surprise.
Hong Kong, China is ranked 147th in the world, while Timor-Leste is at the bottom of the table, just above Sri Lanka and Guam, who are ranked second and third from the bottom in Asia. As a region with a national population of only 1.35 million, the Hong Kong team has long played the role of a point giver in Asian soccer. However, this time they broke the mold and worked a miracle. After the match, the whole team was immersed in revelry, while players of the losing Hong Kong, China youth team covered their faces in disbelief and wept.
