China draw with DPRK, take third place at E Asian Championship

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China took the third place in men's tournament of the 2017 East Asian Championship after drawing 1-1 with DPRK.

The Chinese would find the net in just the fifth minute when Ri Myong Guk saved Zhao Xuri's effort and Yu Dabao scored on the rebound. But his goal was immediately waved off for being offside.

DPRK's corner was punched out to safety, and Wu Xi collected the ball before sending it forward to Zhang Wehzhao on the right wing. Zhang blew by his marker and was off to the races, taking it into the box before squaring to Wei Shihao who tapped it home in the 81st minute. The Shanghai SIPG winger scored his second of the tournament, lifting China to a 1-0 lead before the half-time.

Wei Shihao celebrates his goal between China and DPRK. /VCG Photo

Jong Il Gwan made amends in the 80th minute with a free kick. Heartbreak for China as the match ended in a 1-1 draw.

"The most important thing is that our young players got valuable experience from these big games. They didn't have many chances to perform on the world stage, but this time they traveled with the national team and learned a lot in Japan," Lippi said.

Kim Shin-wook scored a brace as South Korea stunned Japan 4-1 to win the East Asian Championship title. Japan finished second while China took third with two draws one loss.