Goalkeeper Chen denies Melbourne City as Wuhan win Asian title on penalties
China's Wuhan Jiangdu won the inaugural Asian Women's Champions League with a 5-4 shoot-out victory over Melbourne City on Saturday as substitute goalkeeper Chen Chen made a pair of saves to claim the title after a 1-1 draw at the end of extra time.
Chen denied City captain Rebekah Stott in the final round of regulation spot kicks to take the shoot-out into sudden death and then kept out Bryleeh Henry's attempt, securing the $1 million first prize for Wuhan in front of their own fans.
Wuhan had needed a penalty from Wang Shuang in the eighth minute of injury time to take proceedings into extra time after a header by 17-year-old City midfielder Shelby McMahon had given the Australians the lead with 16 minutes remaining.
The win makes Wuhan the first team to claim the title following the creation of the competition last year. The Asian Football Confederation had previously run a series of pilot events under the Asian Women's Club Championship banner.
China international Wang had almost opened the scoring with the final kick of the first half, forcing City goalkeeper Malena Mieres to tip a dipping long-range effort over the bar.
Chen, introduced as a substitute for Ding Xuan at halftime, denied McMahon four minutes after the restart when she blocked the midfielder's low strike on the run and five minutes later she kept out Henry's close-range attempt.
The action switched to the opposite end and Mieres dropped to her left to push Song Duan's goal-bound effort to safety on the hour mark.
With 14 minutes remaining City took the lead as McMahon moved into space eight metres from goal to meet McKenna's centre and gave Chen little hope as her well-directed header flew in to her right.
But deep into injury time the Chinese were gifted the opportunity to level, with midfielder Mariana Speckmaier handling inadvertently and, after referee Asaka Koizumi pointed to the spot, Wang stepped up to score.
City squandered several chances to win the game in extra time and could have taken the title in the shoot-out after Mieres saved Song's penalty in the fourth round.
Stott saw her chance to win the title saved by Chen and, after Zhao Yuxin scored the first penalty in sudden death, the Chinese goalkeeper dived to her right to keep out Henry's strike to win the title. REUTERS
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