U22 China defeated Korea 2-0, Vietnam has a good chance of winning the championship
Baihelamu Abuduwaily's double helped U22 China beat U22 Korea 2-0, bringing the 2025 Panda Cup to a balance: all four teams have 3 points; goal difference +1, 0, 0, -1.
China U22 defeated South Korea U22 2-0 at the Panda Cup 2025 thanks to Baihelamu Abuduwaily's double in the 72nd and 81st minutes. The result brought the tournament back to balance when all four teams had 3 points; China U22 temporarily led with a goal difference of +1, followed by South Korea U22 (+0), Vietnam U22 (+0) and Uzbekistan (-1). Thanks to that, Vietnam U22 still has a chance to win the championship in the final match.
Abuduwaily's two decisive moments
The deadlock was broken in the 72nd minute: from a precise pass from captain Liu Haofan, Abuduwaily cleverly set up a pass and then shot diagonally to open the scoring. In the 81st minute, a mistake from the away team's defense created an opportunity for Chen Zeshi to steal the ball and assist; Abuduwaily delicately backheeled the ball to make it 2-0. The two moves fully demonstrated Abuduwaily's qualities as a striker: good positioning, effective use of his body and a neat finish in the 16m50 area.
First half tense, opportunities divided equally
The high tempo appeared right after the opening whistle. In the 2nd minute, Abuduwaily got the ball into a dangerous position but was caught offside. In the 7th minute, Wang Bohao dribbled skillfully on the right and crossed to Li Zhenquan, but his weak shot could not beat goalkeeper Moon Hyunho. U22 Korea responded in the 11th minute with Jung Seuhgbae's dangerous long-range shot, but Li Hao's good reflexes saved the goal.
China U22 continuously put pressure from set pieces: in the 20th minute, they were awarded a free kick on the right after Jang Seokhwan handled the ball; in the 21st minute, from Liu Haofan's cross, Jeong Jaesang headed the ball away, almost scoring an own goal. In the 35th minute, Mutalifu Yimingkari headed the ball strongly but still lacked the difficulty to beat Moon Hyunho. At the end of the half, in the 45th minute, Wang Bohao received a yellow card after a provocation, and in the 45+1 minute, Xu Bin's careless pass back opened up a golden opportunity for Kim Yonghak, but the number 19 of Korea U22 pushed the ball too long.
Controversy and disallowed goals
In the second half, U22 Korea had a great chance in the 57th minute when Jung Seungbae finished in a favorable position but too weak. Just one minute later, Li Zhenquan put the ball into the away team's net, but the linesman determined that Abuduwaily had been offside before, causing the goal to be disallowed in the 58th minute. In the 70th minute, Kang Minjun dribbled skillfully in the penalty area and fell after a dispute, but the referee refused to blow a penalty.
Tactics from key situations
The match was defined by a high tempo and quick transitions. China U22 exploited the right flank and the middle well: Liu Haofan's free-kicks (72nd minute) and the second ball battles on the edge of the penalty area opened up clear opportunities. Abuduwaily's role as a target man was highlighted by his ability to set up, turn in tight spaces and finish with one touch (goal 81').
U22 Korea created danger from long shots (minute 11) and tried to press high, forcing the home defense to make mistakes (minute 45+1). At the end of the match, they pushed up their formation to find a goal to shorten the gap but the attacks only stopped at the level of opportunities.
Panda Cup 2025 situation before the final round
The win brings all four teams to 3 points, making the final round unpredictable. Current goal difference according to source:
| Team | Difference | Point |
|---|---|---|
| China U22 | +1 | 3 |
| U22 Korea | +0 | 3 |
| U22 Vietnam | +0 | 3 |
| Uzbekistan | -1 | 3 |
With this context, U22 Vietnam still has a chance to compete for the championship if they make good use of the last match.
Featured timeline
- 2': Abuduwaily is offside, missing an early opportunity for U22 China.
- 7': Wang Bohao crossed the ball, Li Zhenquan shot but Moon Hyunho blocked.
- 11': Jung Seuhgbae's shot is dangerous from afar, Li Hao saves it.
- 20'-21': U22 China put pressure from a set piece; Jeong Jaesang almost scored an own goal.
- 35': Mutalifu Yimingkari's header is dangerous, but the ball is not dangerous enough.
- 45': Wang Bohao received a yellow card; 45+1': Kim Yonghak missed after Xu Bin's mistake.
- 57': Jung Seungbae's shot was too weak in a favorable position.
- 58': Li Zhenquan's goal was disallowed due to Abuduwaily being offside earlier.
- 70': Controversial situation when Kang Minjun fell in the penalty area, the referee did not award a penalty.
- 72': 1-0 for U22 China, Abuduwaily shot diagonally from Liu Haofan's drop ball.
- 81': 2-0, Abuduwaily backheeled the ball after Chen Zeshi's assist.
- Final minutes: U22 Korea pushed up the squad but could not score.
