Players of China celebrate after the 3-2 win over South Korea in the 2022 AFC Women's Asian Cup final at DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai, India, February 6, 2022. /CFP
China overcame a 2-0 deficit to defeat South Korea 3-2 in the 2022 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women's Asian Cup final at DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai, India, to win their first title in 16 years on Sunday. It's also China's ninth Asian Cup trophy, the most among all teams.
Though China have never lost to South Korea in their past seven matchups, the first half of Sunday's game couldn't have been more bleak for the "Steel Roses." South Korea sent a 3-5-2 formation onto the field, pressuring hard in the midfield. Meanwhile, China lacked enthusiasm during the first half and moved the ball too much between small groups of two and three instead of pushing forward. The lack of aggressiveness gave South Korea enough time to switch to a 5-3-2 formation when China finally approached the box.
Tang Jiali (#18) of China shoots a penalty kick in the 2022 AFC Women's Asian Cup final against South Korea at DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai, India, February 6, 2022. /CFP
South Korea's pressure paid off on offense as well. On a fast counterstrike, a pass from Lee Geum-min resulted in a 1-0 lead as Choe Yu-ri found the back of the net. During the play, most of China's players were outpaced by their South Korean counterparts.
China suffered another blow in the final minute of stoppage time to end the first half. Yao Lingwei was called for a deliberate handball, leading to a penalty shot for South Korea. Ji So-yun scored to make it a 2-0 game before the break.
Zhang Linyan (R) of China celebrates after scoring the second goal for her team in the 2022 AFC Women's Asian Cup final against South Korea at DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai, India, February 6, 2022. /CFP
Despite trailing 2-0, China did not give up. On the contrary, the deficit made the players more determined and bolder. They kept charging South Korea's defense from the two wings. In the 66th minute, Zhang Linyan's crossover from the left was deflected by the hand of Lee Young-ju. The referee gave China a penalty kick with no hesitation. Tang Jiali scored for China, cutting the deficit to one goal (2-1).
As the game continued, South Korea began to move at a slower pace after exerting so much energy in the first half, which made it harder for them to defend against China's attack. Four minutes after the first goal, Tang returned the favor by assisting Zhang to score a powerful header, tying the score 2-2 for China.
Xiao Yuyi of China celebrates after scoring the third goal for her team in the 2022 AFC Women's Asian Cup final against South Korea at DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai, India, February 6, 2022. /CFP
The Steel Roses were in full control of the game in the last 15 minutes. Their fast movement of the ball in front of the box in the 92nd minute pierced the defensive line of South Korea before Xiao Yuyi broke the opponents' goal for the third time. It was China's third straight comeback win in the tournament. They trailed first in each of the three games in the elimination stage, but managed to rally in all of them to pocket the final victory.