Jang Seul-ki's equalizer → Ji So-yeon 95 minutes Wonder Theater's goal, South Korea, Yao Wei, 1 goal, 1 assist, 22 draw against China (on-site review against China)

Jul 09, 2025

Photo =Korea Football Association

Ace Ji So-yeon saved Korea from the brink of defeat.

South Korea's women's soccer A team, led by head coach Shin Sang-woo, drew 2-2 in the first round of the 2025 East Asian Football Federation (EAFF) E-1 Championship (hereinafter referred to as the East Asian Cup) at Suwon World Cup Stadium with China on the 9th.

It was the most important first step. South Korea, which has never won a championship since participating as a host country in 2005, is aiming for the first time in 20 years at this tournament. It's a competition against a prominent opponent. Japan, which boasts seventh place in the FIFA women's soccer rankings, has become the champion since 2008, 2010 and 2019, as well as the previous 2022 tournament. China has yet to win a championship, but it is a strong 17th-ranked team, four places ahead of South Korea (21st) in the FIFA Women's Soccer Rankings. Taiwan (42nd) is also not an easy target.

Therefore, to try to win the championship, he desperately needed to win the match against China. China has yet to win the East Asian Cup, but it is a strong 17th-ranked team, four places ahead of South Korea (21st) in the FIFA Women's Soccer Rankings. South Korea has been consistently inferior to China with four wins, eight draws and 29 losses. Since the 1-0 East Asian Cup victory in China on August 1, 2015, there has been no victory with four draws and seven losses in 11 games.

In Korea, Jeon Yu-kyung, the top scorer in Norway's second division, was at the forefront, and the midfield was built by Ji So-yeon and Lee Geum-min, Minyoung Jung, Kang Chae-rim and Moon Eun-joo. The defense was composed of Roh Jin-young, Jang Seul-ki, Ko Yu-jin, and Kim Hye-ri. Kim Min-jung defended the goal. A large number of young players were included in the starting list. Four people born in the 2000s, including Jeon Yu-kyung, who was born in 2004, were selected as starters. It was a composition that showed the thoughts of director Shin Sang-woo, who is preparing for a generational change.

China's Hongyan, Wu Haiyan, Wang Ling, Zhang Xian, Wang Xuang, Yao Wei, Li Mengwen, Qin Kun, Liu Jing, Xiao Zinzi and Chen Qiao Zhu made the list.

Photo =Korea Football Association

In the first half, when there was a sharp confrontation in the midfield, the first team to open was China. When the defense cleared the cross that flew into the box in the 15th minute of the first half, Yao Wei, who was waiting in front of the penalty box, connected with a mid-range shot. The ball went into the corner of the Korean goal.

South Korea, which allowed the first run, made an early replacement. In the 23rd minute of the first half, Jeon Yoo-kyung, who complained of a hamstring injury, was excluded and Kim Min-ji was put in. They fought hard to find a way out of the attack. On the left, Moon Eun-joo and Ji So-yeon tried to break through the Chinese defense through linkage, but it was not easy to enter the box due to Jeungguk's tight defense line. In the 35th minute of the first half, Moon Eun-jin handed over a cross from the right side of the box to Ji So-yeon in the center of the box. Ji So-yeon's shot went up on the net.

South Korea missed a golden opportunity. Kang Chae-rim, who broke through the left in the counterattack in the 37th minute of the first half, entered the box. Kang Chae-rim also tried to shoot in defensive check, but the ball went a little off the side of the net. In the 43rd minute of the first half, Jang Seul-ki advanced to the front of the Chinese box with a direct breakthrough from near the half line to create an opportunity. Moon Eun-joo's shot, which received Jang Seul-ki's pass, hit the net above.

South Korea re-balanced the game at the end of the first half. China's goal, which had been steadily tapped, opened at the end of the first half. When the cross that drilled the left side flowed to the center of the box in the first minute of extra time, Jang Seul-ki, who was rushing, finished the game and shook the Chinese net. The first half ended 1-1.

Photo =Korea Football Association

At the beginning of the second half, South Korea excluded Moon Eun-jin and put in Hyun Seul-ki. In a 1-1 balance, South Korea and China slowly tried to attack and sought their opportunities. As the game did not go well, China threatened Korean players in a row with harsh fouls. In the 12th minute of the second half, China's Tang Jiali kicked Minyoung Jung's leg running to catch the ball, and in the 14th minute of the second half, Wang Ianwen hit Lee Geum-min in the head with his elbow in a competition for an aerial ball.

China ran away again. In the 22nd minute of the second half, a cross from the left hit Yao Wei's head and headed to the gate, which Xiao Zinzhi pushed into his head.

South Korea continued its offensive to chase again. In the 28th minute of the second half, Minyoung Jung's cross bounced off the goalkeeper. In the ensuing attack, Ko Yu-jin threw himself to push a cross from Minyoung Jung, but the ball went out of the goal line. In the 35th minute of the second half, Hyun Seul-ki's shot, which received Ji So-yeon's penetration pass, shook the net, but it was already after the assistant referee lifted the flag and declared offside. In the 36th minute of the second half, Korea made a change by excluding Kang Chae-rim and introducing Choo Hyo-joo.

Korea continued to shake China. In the 42nd minute of the second half, Hyun Seul-ki's cross was unable to reach his teammates in the box and was caught in defense and went out of the goal line. South Korea took out Lee Geum-min in the extra time of the second half and even deployed Casey Eugene Farr to maintain the physical strength to attack until the end.

Again, Korea balanced the game. The main character was Ji So-yeon. Ji So-yeon attempted a mid-range shot from the left side of the penalty box arc in the fifth minute of extra time in the second half, and the ball was inserted into the goal.

In the end, the match ended in a 2-2 draw.

This article was translated by Naver AI translator.