Huashan, June 09, 2024, The Europe Today: Hosts China played to a 0-0 draw with Uzbekistan on Saturday at the Huashan Cup, a U-19 men’s soccer invitational tournament organized by the Chinese Football Association.
The match saw Uzbekistan leverage their physical strength to dominate the early stages. In the 21st minute, a close-range header from Nurlan Ibraimov was blocked by China’s goalkeeper Liu Qiwei, maintaining the scoreline at 0-0.
China faced a setback in the 29th minute when Wang Yudong, who had scored in China’s previous victory over Vietnam, sustained an injury. This prompted head coach Dejan Durdevic to make a tactical adjustment. Despite this, China finished the first half without any attempts on goal.
China’s best opportunity came in the 54th minute, but Mao Weijie’s shot soared over the goal despite being under no defensive pressure. As the match progressed, Uzbekistan’s energy waned, and they were unable to convert their early dominance into a goal, resulting in a goalless draw.
In another match on Saturday, Jin Jun-seo’s goal helped South Korea secure a 1-0 victory over Vietnam, marking their first win in this year’s Huashan Cup. Jin also scored a penalty in their previous match against Uzbekistan on Tuesday.
After two matchdays, both China and South Korea have recorded one win and one draw, while Uzbekistan has two draws. Vietnam has suffered consecutive defeats.
The tournament will conclude on Monday, with China facing South Korea and Vietnam taking on Uzbekistan to determine the Huashan Cup winner.
