China's women's football team suffered its first-ever loss to Russia, revealing two major issues in its debut of the new cycle

Reporter Wang Wei reports On the evening of June 3, the Wuhan Five Rings Sports Center hosted an international women's football friendly, where the Chinese women's team took on Russia on home soil. This was the team's first outing after the Asian Cup semifinals, and also a live training exercise for the Asian Games and the upcoming World Cup cycle. The team held a touching retirement ceremony for the legendary veteran Gu Yasha before the game, yet the outcome was ultimately heartbreaking.

China dominated possession throughout the match but struggled with attacking efficiency and failed to match the opponent's pace. Russia, on the other hand, used tough physicality and abundant stamina to constantly threaten China's defense, scoring three goals in the second half — though a stoppage-time header was ruled offside. In the end, China lost 1-2 to Russia, marking the first defeat in their history against this opponent, snapping an unbeaten record of 16 wins and 3 draws in 19 previous encounters.

The current Wuhan training camp, which began on May 18 and will run until June 8, focuses on honing tactics, refining the lineup, and addressing weaknesses through high-intensity drills to enhance game readiness. In the pre-match press conference, head coach Milicic emphasized that the two matches against Russia are highly valuable, providing an excellent opportunity to test training results, accumulate experience in high-level games, identify problems, and make targeted adjustments.

For this match, Milicic fielded a strong lineup largely consistent with the Asian Cup system. Goalkeeper Pan Hongyan started; the defense was anchored by captain Wu Haiyan and Wang Linlin in central roles, with Chen Qiaozhu and Zhang Chengxue on the flanks to form a solid backline. In midfield, Yao Wei and Wang Aifang played as double pivots; Wang Shuang and Zhang Linyan operated on both wings, while Wurigumula and Shao Ziqin paired up front as strikers.

The first half saw both teams feeling each other out, with intense tackles but no goals. The second half changed dramatically. In the 54th minute, Russia broke the deadlock: Natalia Mashina received a precise through ball, sprinted down the right flank, and executed a brilliant lob that sailed over the diving Pan Hongyan into the net, giving Russia the lead.

Trailing behind, China quickly adjusted and mounted a strong response. In the 60th minute, the most stunning goal of the match arrived. Wang Shuang calmly controlled the ball near the edge of the box, dribbled laterally to create space, assessed the goalkeeper's position, and unleashed a precise, powerful left-footed long-range shot that curved beautifully into the top corner — a world-class effort that leveled the score at 1-1. Thereafter, China made substitutions, and as younger players came on, the defense faced increasing pressure from the opponent's attacks.

The tie did not last until the final whistle. In the 86th minute, Russia exploited a defensive lapse in China's backline, with Zamilieva scoring the decisive goal to make it 2-1. During stoppage time in the second half, Anna Koznikova headed in a free-kick cross inside the box, but the referee signaled for offside, disallowing the goal.

Throughout the match, Russia displayed strong physicality and abundant energy, relying on a compact defense while executing rapid counterattacks with quick transitions, putting continuous pressure on China's backline. Meanwhile, the Chinese women's team still showed deficiencies in attacking efficiency and finishing ability up front, and also needs improvement in defensive concentration and local coordination in the backfield.

After the match, Chinese head coach Milicic acknowledged that losing at home was disappointing, but stressed that such high-quality friendlies are exactly what the team needs for Asian Games preparation. The squad will learn from the defeat and find solutions. Milicic said: "The team will thoroughly review our mistakes from this game, analyze offensive and defensive weaknesses, and fully optimize our lineup and tactics. On the 7th, the two teams will hold an internal training match, during which the coaching staff will try more player combinations, focusing on improving the midfield and defensive system to resolve current issues."

Wang Shuang said after the match: "Due to the weather, today's game was tough for us. We played a bit slowly and kept following their rhythm. At halftime, the coach told us to be more proactive, and we improved a bit in the second half. We need to thoroughly analyze these two goals conceded and refine our game review, hoping to perform better at the Asian Games in September."

Russian head coach Krasnozhen commented: "From the very first minute, I could see that China was better prepared and performed well in the overall game. As the match progressed, Russia's overall performance gradually improved, their attack picked up, and the game became a back-and-forth contest. We played better in the second half and scored two goals. This victory means a lot to us because we have faced China many times before but never achieved such a result."