As the spring breeze brushed through the greenery of Vientiane, International Working Women's Day on March 8 witnessed the Chinese Women's U20 National Team sweeping past the Philippine U20 soccer team with a brilliant 6-0 victory, advancing to the final of the Asian Cup with their heads held high. After the match, Head Coach Wang Jun revealed, "Our strategy to face the overseas legion of the Philippines was well thought out and the result confirmed our foresight."
Only 9 minutes into the match, Huo Yuexin scored the first goal for the Chinese team, and then the "Little Roses" were unstoppable, with Zou Mengyao and Huo Yuexin scoring another goal to take a 3-0 lead at half time. In the second half, Lu Jiayu, Ouyang Yuhuan and Qiao Ruiqi each performed brilliantly, and finally locked up a 6-0 victory.
The victory came after a fierce battle between the 28 participating teams, which were divided into eight groups, with the top team in each group advancing to the next stage. The China U20s were grouped with the Philippines, Hong Kong and hosts Laos.
The eight teams that advance to the second stage will then be split into two groups, with the top two teams from each group advancing and battling it out with the top four teams, including Uzbekistan, for a place in the Women's U20 Asian Cup to be held in Uzbekistan in March next year.
Wang Jun had led the team to break into the U20 Women's World Cup, and now Wang Shuang, Xiao Yuyi and Tang Jiali of the U20 team are all from his command. Before the match, Wang Jun was full of confidence: "I hope the team will show the style of young women's soccer in Asia, play with technology and tactics, and accomplish the set goals."
Wang Jun summarized after the match, "Although the Philippines has overseas players, the team understanding is doubtful. We were well prepared and after the first goal, the situation was completely under our control." Talking about the next match against Hong Kong, he emphasized, "What we have to face is how to crack the opponent's intensive defense, so the front court coordination is crucial."
The "Women's Football Spirit", as articulated by Women's Head Coach Shui Qingxia on the "Representation Channel", is the driving force behind the team's progress: "Struggle is about overcoming difficulties, and our goal is far from being reached. Although a 6-0 start is a welcome one, vigilance and hard work are the keys to staying on top of our game."
