A commanding 4-1 victory over North Korea to conclude! Finished October training camp with 3 wins and 2 losses, as the 09 national youth team awaits a major test

Reporter Chen Yong reports China’s U16 national team (hereafter “09 national youth team”) will next convene in early November for the final training and matches of the U17 Asian Cup qualifiers. Therefore, the October Xianghe training camp was the last preparation stage: during this camp, the 09 team’s results varied, beginning with a 4-0 triumph over India and a 3-0 win against Tianjin Jinmen Tiger U18, but then suffered a 0-1 loss to India and a 0-2 defeat by North Korea, which put considerable pressure on the team. Ultimately, in the final match of the camp, the 09 national youth team exploded with a 4-1 win, laying a solid foundation for the U17 Asian Cup qualifiers in November.

In the first match against North Korea, the 09 national youth team struggled to adapt to North Korea’s playing style and pace. Coupled with a shift in mentality after the 0-1 loss to India, the team ultimately lost 0-2 in that game.

In the rematch, the 09 national youth team made slight changes to the lineup, mainly adjusting the right-back, defensive midfield, and attacking midfield positions. The final starting lineup was: goalkeeper Qin Ziniu; defenders from left to right Zhang Xuyao, Nan Zixun, Li Junpeng, Jin Yucheng; defensive midfielders Zhou Yuno and Xu Zhengpeng; attacking line with left winger He Sifan, attacking midfielder Kong Xinuo, and right winger Wang Hanyu; striker Zhang Bolin leading the attack.

For the 09 national youth team, the right-back position has seen frequent changes. For example, in the Hohhot Four Nations Tournament, the right-back starters were Zhang Junhao, Nan Zixun, and Gu Boyu; in the first match against North Korea, Zhang Junhao started; in this game, Jin Yucheng started right-back, later replaced by Jin Feng. This frequent rotation indicates the team has not yet found a fully trusted player for this role. In contrast, the left-back spot is very stable with Zhang Xuyao. Interestingly, Nan Zixun is versatile, capable of playing left-back, center-back, and right-back, and currently mainly partners with Li Junpeng as a central defensive duo.

In this match, after kickoff, the 09 national youth team appeared somewhat cautious, lacking offensive solutions, while North Korea created two or three threatening attacks. Fortunately, the 09 team’s defense remained highly focused, successfully protecting the goal.

The 09 national youth team opened the scoring through wide ball distribution: in the 24th minute, they moved the ball from the left side to the right wing to Wang Hanyu, who headed it back, allowing Zhang Bolin to easily score in the center. In the 42nd minute, another left-side combination saw Zhang Bolin cut into the box and calmly shoot into the bottom left corner for his second goal. In stoppage time of the first half, Zhang Xuyao’s long shot hit the post but rebounded to Zhang Bolin, who completed his hat-trick with a simple finish. Unexpectedly, North Korea responded with a lobbed goal to pull one back.

Although North Korea tried to come back in the second half, the 09 national youth team regained full confidence and morale, controlling the game’s tempo more effectively. Especially with increased midfield pressing, they successfully disrupted North Korea’s attacks. This North Korean youth team played very mature and direct football but avoided going through midfield, so the 09 team’s strong midfield pressure effectively contained their offense.

Shortly after the second half began, Zhang Bolin took the ball on the right wing, dribbled past a defender one-on-one, and scored a precise shot from a tight angle. This high-quality goal boosted Zhang Bolin’s confidence after his hat-trick, culminating in a remarkable four-goal haul. Later, striker Zhao Songyuan replaced Zhang Bolin, followed by Chen Bingxi coming on as a substitute. Zhao Songyuan also had good chances but unfortunately couldn’t convert. In the end, the 09 national youth team defeated North Korea 4-1.

During this Xianghe training camp, the 09 national youth team played five intensive matches. Despite ups and downs, finishing with a 4-1 win was a positive outcome. After this camp, the team’s next training phase will focus on preparing for the U17 Asian Cup qualifiers. The 09 team is expected to train in early November, undergoing about two weeks of preparation before competing on November 22 in the qualifiers.

The schedule for the U17 Asian Cup qualifiers has been released, with the first and crucial match against Bahrain on November 22. Unless unexpected results occur, the final advancing team will likely come from this matchup. The 09 national youth team must strive for victory here. If the match ends in a draw, the subsequent games against East Timor, Brunei, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh will be decided by goal difference. According to the rules, only the group winner can advance to the U17 Asian Cup finals.