China beats Chinese Taipei in women's East Asian Cup
China took an early lead after eight minutes, when Shao struck a rebound after her initial header had hit the crossbar. In the 16th minute, Shen Mengyu doubled the advantage with a goal following a corner kick.
After the break, Chinese Taipei mounted a counterattack. Su Yu-hsuan and Chen Yu-chin each found the net to level the score at 2-2.
With the match hanging in the balance, China regained the lead in the 82nd minute as Wang Yanwen unleashed a long-range strike to make it 3-2. In stoppage time, Zhang Linyan delivered a pinpoint cross that Shao converted with a header, completing her brace and sealing China's 4-2 victory.
China head coach Ante Milicic said afterwards that his team were in control for most of the match. "I haven't got any accurate statistics, but I'd say at least 75% [possession]. I'm sure we have at least 20 shots towards goal," he said.
"But definitely there was a period in the second half over ten to 15 minutes where we didn't show the mentality of a strong team. We let our opponents back into the game, and that might [have made] the last part of the game a lot more difficult," Milicic admitted.
"We didn't underestimate the opponent, but definitely, there was a ten- to 15-minute period where we didn't concentrate. We were too relaxed, that really hurt us during today's game," he added.
Shao told Xinhua after the game: "The team showed strong attacking intent today, but we need to stay more focused after taking the lead. In the next match, we must prioritize solid defense and then push forward with our offense."
In the other match of the day, Japan and South Korea played out a 1-1 draw.
The East Asian Cup tournament is a four-team mini-league where each team plays the others once. Rankings are determined by total points, followed by head-to-head results, goal difference and goals scored. The women's tournament at the 2025 East Asian Cup features four teams: China, Japan, South Korea and Chinese Taipei.
After two rounds, China and Japan both sit on four points, followed by South Korea on two points from two draws and Chinese Taipei, who has lost both matches.
On July 16, the final match day of the tournament, China will face Japan and Chinese Taipei will take on South Korea.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
6 hours ago
- The Star
Barcelona squad departs late for Japan, South Korea
MADRID, July 25 (Xinhua) -- Barcelona's squad has traveled to Asia for a three-match tour of Japan and South Korea with a 24-hour delay after resolving contract problems with the tour promotors. A conflict over the contract for Barca's first game against Japanese side Vissel Kobe saw the squad postpone its planned departure on Thursday, and the trip looked to be in danger of being canceled. However, the problems have now been resolved and the players were able to depart on Friday. Coach Hansi Flick has named a 30-player traveling squad, which includes new signings Marcus Rashford and goalkeeper Joan Garcia. Several members of Barca's B-team also form part of the squad for the trip in which Barca will also face South Korean sides Seoul FC and Daegu FC.
The Star
6 hours ago
- The Star
Feature: Reaching new heights - China's artistic swimming triumphs at Singapore Worlds
by sportswriters Li Jia, Wang Zijiang and Yue Chenxing SINGAPORE, July 25 (Xinhua) -- With a performance inspired by the Terracotta Warriors, the Chinese artistic swimming team concluded their World Championships campaign in Singapore on Friday, as they secured a gold in the team acrobatic event, bringing their total medal tally to four golds and three silvers in the tournament. China triumphed once again over the Russian squad, competing as Neutral Athletes B (NAB), as the Chinese team scored 229.0186 points for the gold. NAB finished second with 224.7291 points, while Spain took third with 221.0962 points. China also outshone NAB in the team technical event. "When we won the team technical, I was still quite anxious," said China head coach Zhang Xiaohuan. "But in the acrobatic event, their (NAB's) difficulty increased significantly from the preliminary round to the final, which put pressure on me. However, I followed the advice of our research team and focused on doing our best. What mattered most in the final was the quality of our artistic choreography and the overall execution of the routine." For China, who made history by winning both the duet and team events at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, their victory at the Singapore Worlds further demonstrated the ongoing rise of Chinese artistic swimming. This triumph marks a new milestone, as the team has now surpassed the long-time powerhouse Russia. This victory solidifies China's place at the top of the sport. "What we've done in this competition, especially winning the team technical event with NAB participating, is a new chapter in the history of Chinese artistic swimming," said China's Spanish coach Ana Tarres. "It's the first time China has ever beaten this strong rival in a competition where they were both present. I think this is a great motivation for the girls. Nothing is impossible through hard work, discipline, commitment, and swimming. This is a step forward." "The team technical gold is just as important as the one we won at the Paris Olympics," said Zhang. "We've always looked forward to a direct showdown with our strongest competitors." Despite dominance at the 2024 Doha Worlds and the Paris Olympics, it wasn't until the Singapore Worlds that China dispelled doubts that they could only win in the absence of Russian competitors. Proving their competitiveness has even been a reason for veteran swimmers to stay on the team, despite already having won world and Olympic titles. "I failed to compete in the team technical, but today I participated in the acrobatic event, and we defeated NAB. We broke through the doubts with our strength," said Paris Olympic champion Zhang Yayi, who injured her foot 15 days ago but still managed to participate in the last event in Singapore. Head coach Zhang Xiaohuan added that the victory would not only motivate veteran swimmers but also inspire younger athletes and encourage everyone in China's artistic swimming. "It will boost the entire sport," she said. "Artistic swimming is developing at an incredible speed. Every competition shows how unpredictable it can be - sometimes third place can jump to first, and sometimes the champion can fall behind. It's hard to say who will win the gold medal. There is no eternal champion," she added. Team captain Feng Yu acknowledged, "We've waited for this chance to compete against a team we've been wanting to measure ourselves against for a very long time. That makes this result special." In the team free event, Feng was called upon to replace Zhang Yayi just nine days before the final. Young talents also shone. Xu Huiyan, 19, secured four gold medals and a silver in her second World Championships. She made history by winning China's first-ever gold in the women's solo technical event with a huge lead. She then followed up with a silver in the solo free final, setting a personal best. Xu also helped the team win three team golds, despite catching a fever on Friday. "I think our young athletes did really well, especially Xu, along with other swimmers who competed in individual events," Zhang said. "I've seen their improvement, but they still need to work harder. They will carry China's flag in the future, and they need to keep improving faster." Guo Muye, 17, competing in his first World Championships, claimed a historic silver in the men's solo free. Twin sisters Lin Yanjun and Lin Yanhan, also debuting at the Worlds, earned a silver in the women's duet technical. "I have higher expectations, but I accept that this is the best our team can do right now with a new lineup in this new cycle," Zhang admitted. "I hope we can do even better next time. But I think we made a big breakthrough in this competition." Looking ahead to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, Russian swimmers will still be China's biggest competitors. "They (NAB) have a solid talent pool in artistic swimming. Many of their athletes are very young, born in 2007 and 2008, yet they perform at a very high level," Zhang said. "This is something we really admire and respect. Their performance still stays at a very high standard, with good synchronization, teamwork and consistency. This brings a lot of challenges for us in the future. We just won this time, but we still have a long way to go." "Compared to them, we need to make some adjustments. Many of our veteran swimmers are dealing with injuries, so we'll have to make some changes going forward," Zhang continued. "Also, I think the choreography of Spain, Italy and France is excellent." "We must always consider ourselves as challengers, never take the champion's position for granted. We still need to keep improving," Zhang concluded.
The Star
a day ago
- The Star
Interview: China writes "new chapter of history" in artistic swimming, says coach Tarres
by sportswriters Wang Zijiang and Yue Chenxing SINGAPORE, July 24 (Xinhua) -- China has captured three gold and three silver medals so far in artistic swimming at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore, marking a major milestone for the team. Behind the scenes of the success is a familiar figure in the sport: Spanish coaching legend Ana Tarres. For Tarres, who joined China's national artistic swimming team ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics, the results are both a breakthrough and a sign of what lies ahead. "What we've done in this competition, especially winning the team technical event with the Russian athletes participating, is a new chapter in the history of Chinese artistic swimming," Tarres told Xinhua. "It's the first time China has ever beaten the strong rival in a competition where they were both present. I think this is a good motivation for the girls. Nothing is impossible through a lot of work, discipline, commitment and swimming. That's a step forward." While China earned its first Olympic gold in artistic swimming at the Paris Games - a feat made possible in part by the Russian athletes' absence - this year's World Championships victory came with the Russian athletes back in the pool, competing under the name Neutral Athletes B (NAB). In the team technical final, China topped the standings, finishing 7.1818 points ahead of its longtime rival. Tarres, 56, is no stranger to international podiums. As Spain's head coach from 1997 to 2012, she guided her teams to four Olympic medals, 26 World Championship medals and 25 European medals. She joined China in 2023 and has played a key role in its rise to Olympic champion status. "What I mostly do is to put in value the talent that they have," she said. "I'm very good in teamwork. I'm very good at trying to get the best version of each swimmer and trying to detect the talent, trying to put it at the service of the team, and then everyone takes benefit of it." Tarres splits her time between Spain and China, depending on the team's preparation cycle. The results, she says, speak for themselves. China's athletes exceeded expectations in Singapore, particularly in the marquee team technical and free routines. "The team events are the king and queen of the sport," Tarres said. "This is our main goal, and we're on the right path." Looking ahead to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, Tarres is focused on sustaining China's momentum. "We only have two chances in the Games - team and duet - and our goal is clear: go for gold in both," she said. Tarres' coaching career hasn't been without controversy. She parted ways with the Spanish federation in 2012 after allegations of authoritarian coaching - claims she has consistently denied. Now focused firmly on the future, Tarres says she's not looking back. "This is the past. Let's focus on the present and the future."
