China's twist! 'Jang Winning: Theater goal in the 44th minute of the second half' beat Bahrain 1-0 and won 2 consecutive games...Tied with No. 2 Australia, he saved his hopes of advancing to the World Cup
Nov 15, 2024
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China has won two consecutive games. China beat Bahrain 1-0 in the fifth Group C match of the third Asian qualifying round for the 2026 North-China World Cup at Bahrain National Stadium in Lipa, Bahrain on the 14th (Korea time). With the victory, China has six points (2 wins and 3 losses), rising from the bottom of Group C to fourth. It was on par with second-place Australia (6 points, 1 win, 3 draws and 1 loss).
Group C, which includes Japan, Australia, Saudi Arabia, China, Bahrain, and Indonesia, has been called the death group since the group formation, with Australia, Saudi Arabia and China all showing a major battle with six points except for Japan, which is leading the way. Australia (+1) ranked second in goal difference, Saudi Arabia (-1) ranked third, and China (-8) ranked fourth.
It was a huge twist. China lost to Japan 0-7 in the first round, and then to Saudi Arabia and Australia. However, on the 15th of last month, he succeeded in turning the mood by beating Indonesia, led by head coach Shin Tae-yong, 2-1. Coach Shin was surprisingly defensive, but China turned the tide through the desired victory. He showed his concentration even in an away game in Bahrain, where it was not easy, and he succeeded in winning two consecutive games and developed his dream of going to the World Cup finals.
The number of participants in the North Korea-China World Cup has increased from 32 countries to 48. There were many analyses that it was FIFA's choice to increase China's chances of advancing to the World Cup finals. However, after barely passing the second qualifying round, China was sluggish in the early stages of the third qualifying round and received a mock response from its fans that it would not be easy to go to the World Cup again this time. The 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup was the only time China went to the World Cup.
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China, led by head coach Branko Ivankovic, took out a 4-3-1-2 formation on the day. Berum Abdouweri and Jean Winning were on the front line. Wei Xiao stepped up as an attacking midfielder. The Jungwon was established by Lin Liangming, Wang Xiangyuan, and Liyuan. Four Bags worked with Li Lei-Jiu Chunji-e, Jiang Shenglong-Yang Zesiang. Wang Daray defended the goal.
Early in the game, the away team China took the lead. In the 10th minute of the first half, Jang Winning had a good chance in the box. He shot from a no-mark, but unfortunately he couldn't hit the ball properly. Bahrain's goalkeeper saved it well. Bahrain countered with a quick counterattack. He attempted a sharp cross from the left in the 15th minute of the first half, but unfortunately, he was not connected with a shot.
The two teams continued a fierce battle in the midfield and failed to create a significant chance. In the end, the first half ended without a goal.
In the second half, China increased its market share. Starting with Wei Xiao's shot in the 6th minute of the second half, he targeted Bahrain. He missed a crucial chance in the seventh minute. Jang Winning scored the decisive header in a corner kick situation, but was blocked by the opponent's goalkeeper's super save.
Bahrain also fought back. In the 31st minute, Alcatal Ebrahim connected with a powerful header from Marhun Mohammed's cross from the right. The shot was directed in front of the Chinese goalkeeper.
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A revived China scored a theatrical goal. In the 44th minute, Jang Winning scored the winning goal in a mixed game in the box. The Chinese players all jumped out and cheered. China, which endured the remaining time without losing a point, wrapped up the 1-0 victory.
vanbasten@sportschosun.com
