Sat, Feb 05, 2022 page8

• China knock out defending champions in shoot-out, face South Korea in final

  • Reuters
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  China on Thursday knocked out two-time defending champions Japan 4-3 in a penalty shoot-out to set up a final with South Korea at the Women’s Asian Cup.

  Wang Shanshan scored the winning spot-kick after firing in a late equalizer in extra-time to earn Shui Qingxia’s side a 2-2 draw with the champions and take the game in Pune into a shoot-out.

  South Korea advanced to the final of the tournament for the first time after handing the Philippines a 2-0 defeat.

  

  China’s Wang Shanshan, right, scores against Japan in the penalty shoot-out of their Women’s Asian Cup semi-final in Pune, India, on Thursday.

  Photo: Reuters

  China, who claimed the title eight times between 1986 and 2006, are to play in the final for the first time since 2008 after twice coming back from a goal down.

  Riko Ueki finished off a fine team move when she deftly headed in Hinata Miyazawa’s cross to put Japan in front in the 26th minute.

  Wu Chengshu’s close-range volley in the first minute of the second half leveled the scores and, although the Japanese created opportunities to seal the win, Futoshi Ikeda’s side were forced into extra-time.

  

  South Korea’s Son Hwa-yeon, right, scores against the Philippines in their Women’s Asian Cup semi-final in Pune, India, on Thursday.

  Photo: Reuters

  Ueki was on target again two minutes before the end of the first period when she evaded China’s attempts to play offside to meet Yui Hasegawa’s free-kick with a clinical diving header.

  However, China equalized again with little over a minute remaining when Wang Shanshan steered Zhang Xin’s cross from the left past Ayaka Yamashita to take the game to penalties.

  Misses by Saki Kumagai and Zhang Xin in the first round of spot-kicks were followed by a reflex save from Zhu Yu to keep out Moeka Minami’s effort in the fifth round, leaving Wang to hit the winner.

  In the day’s other semi-final, South Korea qualified for the decider when goals from Cho So-hyun and Son Hwa-yeon saw off the Philippines.

  Cho put her side ahead in the fourth minute when she headed home Kim Hye-ri’s corner, while Choo Hyo-joo’s run down the left opened up the Philippines defense 30 minutes later and her low center was steered in by Son for South Korea’s second.

  The Women’s Asian Cup is also doubling up as the continent’s qualifier for next year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup, with the four semi-finalists advancing to the tournament alongside cohosts Australia and New Zealand.

  A fifth Asian nation will qualify via a repechage that features Taiwan, Vietnam and Thailand, with the second and third-placed finishers progressing into a series of international playoffs for further Women’s World Cup berths.
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