A narrow 2-1 victory over Timor-Leste, U22 China head coach: The first official match is always tough

Reporter Lu Mi reports Following the brilliant light display at Xi’an International Football Center, the roar of 23,000 supporters created a platform for the young national players as China’s U22 men’s team began their opening match of the U23 Asian Cup qualifiers. However, facing Timor-Leste, whose world ranking is much lower, China’s 2-1 win was far from satisfactory: underestimating the opponent’s strength, multiple missed chances in attack, defensive lapses that led to conceding a goal and almost allowed the opponent to equalize. This highly anticipated U22 squad’s first official match together was indeed somewhat disappointing.

Before the match, the general consensus regarded this game as a “warm-up” for China’s U22 men’s team. Memories of a 6-0 win at the Jakarta Asian Games seven years ago and the strategic need to secure goal difference in the group made head coach Antonio clearly state at the pre-match press conference: “We are fully prepared, and our main goal is to qualify for the final stage.” To that end, he deployed a 4-2-3-1 formation, starting attacking players like Wang Yudong, Baihelamu, and Xiang Yuwang, with the clear intention of overwhelming the opponent with offensive dominance and boosting the goal tally.

Expectations were high, but the reality was that Timor-Leste was not the easy appetizer China had imagined; instead, they proved to be a “tough nut to crack.” Although the opponent’s strength is not formidable, they were definitely stronger than expected.

Especially after continuous rainfall, the soft pitch became an additional factor, repeatedly affecting players’ ball control and passing accuracy. In the first 30 minutes, China dominated possession with 70% and applied high pressure, yet failed to break through Timor-Leste’s defense. Attempts at wing attacks were restricted both in cutting inside and crossing. Baihelamu’s header was saved by the goalkeeper, Xiang Yuwang’s cut inside in the box was off target, and Wang Shiqin’s cross on the left was directly collected by the opponent’s goalkeeper. A series of mistakes gradually made the fans’ cheers turn anxious.

In terms of ability, China’s U22 team was definitely superior. The forwards constantly rotated positions in the tight contest, with Baihelamu’s threat in the center clearly greater than on the right flank. In the 42nd minute, Wang Shiqin’s right-side free kick caused a defensive clearance error by Timor-Leste, allowing Baihelamu to keenly seize the second chance at the far post and calmly score to change the scoreline. As a striker, Baihelamu’s finishing ability was evidently superior to playing wide.

This goal also unlocked China’s attacking rhythm. The team successfully won the ball back in midfield and launched a quick counterattack. Wang Yudong displayed technical maturity beyond his age, first dribbling past defenders at the edge of the box, then curling a shot into the far corner with his right foot. This goal, combining speed, skill, and power, not only extended the lead to 2-0 but also ignited the crowd when Wang Yudong celebrated by mimicking Mbappé’s gesture.

After the break, China should have pressed on to increase their goal difference, but football’s unpredictability showed itself. In the 51st minute, Xiang Yuwang missed an open goal with a flicked shot over the bar, and immediately after, Timor-Leste capitalized on a quick counterattack with Gali Freitas scoring to reduce the deficit to 2-1.

This conceded goal revealed several issues. Firstly, just minutes earlier, China had a defensive breakdown where Wumiti Jiang made a mistake and had to foul; without Liu Haofan trailing, it could have turned into a red card instead of yellow. Secondly, not only Xiang Yuwang but also attackers Baihelamu and Kuai Jiwen made multiple passing errors and squandered many created chances, giving the opponent opportunities to counterattack. Thirdly, the defense was too lax. When the goal was scored, the defenders failed to respond effectively. This nearly cost China dearly later: in the 63rd minute, Timor-Leste combined on the right flank, exploiting a gap in China’s side defense to cut inside and shoot, but Li Hao’s save prevented the equalizer.

Calling this 2-1 win a “narrow victory” for the U22 Chinese team is quite accurate. Coach Antonio only began making substitutions from the 75th minute onward but was unable to change the score again. The soft pitch continued to disrupt the game’s rhythm, causing several players to slip during sudden stops and turns, which affected the fluidity of attacks. When the final whistle blew, the cheers at Xi’an International Football Center were mixed with a hint of regret.

From a strategic perspective, securing three points is a positive start. According to the rules, the 11 group winners and the four best runners-up will advance to the finals. The upcoming match against the Northern Mariana Islands will be crucial to improving the goal difference. However, the problems exposed in the match against Timor-Leste cannot be ignored: insufficient ability to break down dense defenses, low conversion rate of key chances, and lack of concentration in defense all need to be addressed within just three days.

Coach Antonio stated in the post-match press conference: “We did not underestimate the opponent. During preparation, we constantly reminded the players not to look down on any team; we took them seriously. We deserved the victory and created many chances. We had a clear opportunity to make it 3-0 but instead were pulled back to 2-1. The first official match is always difficult because the opponent is well-prepared.” This 2-1 win was certainly below external expectations but revealed both hope and problems, leaving us with mixed feelings as we look forward to the next two games.