Review of the highlights
As the game progressed, in the 24th minute, Japan captured a good opportunity to adjust the pace of the game. After an accidental turnover caused a crack in Hong Kong, China's defense, Shota Hino cleverly passed the ball out to Sun Mingqian, who accidentally made a mistake in clearing the ball from the defense and sent the ball directly to Jun Ayukawa's feet. The Japanese defender quickly fired in a low shot to give his team a valuable 1-0 lead.
Despite falling behind, Hong Kong, China showed a resilient fighting spirit. They were not discouraged by their mistakes, but instead strengthened their use of set-pieces. Towards the end of the first half, center back Lee Yi Kaye created a great threat with a precise header inside the penalty area, although it failed to break the goal.
