China's Young Football Squad Suffers Defeat to South Korea in East Asian Championship

The Chinese national football team faced a 3-0 loss against South Korea at the East Asian Football Championship on Monday. South Korea secured their lead in the first half with goals from Lee Dong-gyeong and Joo Min-kyu. Ba Dun nearly scored for China in the 52nd minute, but his shot went wide. Kim Ju-sung added a third goal for South Korea in the 57th minute.

This match marked the debut of interim head coach Dejan Djurdjevic, who took over after the team's elimination from the World Cup Asian qualifiers led to the dismissal of coach Branko Ivankovic. Djurdjevic was appointed on June 27. Previously, he coached the Chinese Under-20 men's football team. Under his leadership, young players like Wang Yudong, Liu Chengyu, and Kuai Jiwen have progressed and been promoted to the senior national team.

Kuai Jiwen made his debut for the senior national team in this match, having gained recognition during the U20 Asian Cup earlier in 2025. The team's squad of 26 players includes 14 players born after 2000, representing half the team. This significantly lowers the average age and highlights a clear shift towards a younger team.

Historically, the Chinese team has suffered five consecutive defeats against South Korea without scoring a goal, and has never won an away game against them. The team began preparations for the four-team tournament at the start of July. They are scheduled to play Japan on Saturday and the Hong Kong team on July 15. Djurdjevic has stated that competing against strong Asian teams like Japan and South Korea will provide valuable experience for the Chinese players.

The East Asian Football Championship is taking place from Monday to July 16 in Suwon and Yongin, South Korea's Gyeonggi Province. Chinese forward Zhang Yuning commented that the team is in a transitional phase, with veteran players departing and young players joining. He expressed his hope that the tournament will be an opportunity to strengthen team cohesion.