🇨🇳⚽ The Chinese mainland's women's football national team faced a tough battle at the Pinatar Cup in Spain this week. After a fiery 2-0 defeat against Mexico in their final match on Tuesday night, they secured the third spot in the tournament.
China kicked off their campaign with a nail-biting 1-1 draw against Canada, followed by an impressive 4-0 victory over Chinese Taipei. However, the 31st-ranked Mexicans had other plans. In the fifth minute, a misclear by China's defense allowed forward Alice Soto to unleash a stunning volley that found the back of the net. 💥
Just ten minutes later, Mexico struck again. Captain Jacqueline Ovalle weaved through the Chinese defense, timing her run perfectly to beat the offside trap and score with precision. 🥅
Before halftime, China had a golden opportunity to level the score when Zhang Xin delivered a perfect through ball to Jin Kun, whose one-on-one shot narrowly missed the target.
In the second half, coach Ante Milicic made strategic substitutions, bringing on Li Mengwen, Zhi Jie, Tang Jiali, and Huo Yuexin to inject fresh energy into the attack. The team dominated possession and ramped up the pressure, but struggled with key passes and finishing, unable to convert their chances.
Despite the setback, the Chinese mainland's squad finished the friendly tournament with one win, one draw, and one loss. Canada took the title, Mexico came in second, and Chinese Taipei finished fourth. 🏅
Reference(s):
China fall to Mexico in Pinatar Cup finale, finish third at tournament
cgtn.com
