In the four rounds of the China-Korea Youth Challenge, only one victory was achieved. Why do these two strong teams both say the trip was worthwhile?

Zuo Rui and Nan Nan reporting from Dingnan, Jiangxi "More than half of the inaugural '462 Cup' China-Korea Youth Football Elite Challenge has passed. The Zhejiang U15 team, famous for its strong youth training foundation, suffered three defeats and secured only one win in four games. Yet, this squad, which experienced reorganization and turmoil, achieved real growth and advancement in Dingnan. Head coach Feng Yang stated the trip was not in vain.

Zhejiang’s first opponent, HSFA Hwaseong, after winning that tough opening match, then suffered three consecutive losses. They also only managed one win in the first four rounds. However, Hwaseong’s head coach Choi Seong-ju did not blame his players harshly and expressed that this trip to China was highly beneficial and rewarding.

The Zhejiang U15 team reviews each match daily, with the coaching staff fulfilling their respective roles busily. Head coach Feng Yang is responsible for overall video analysis of the entire match, while team leader Xiong Wei focuses specifically on set-piece offense and defense. Through patient playback and explanation, players think deeply and take notes until both individual and team issues are clearly presented and fully understood.

The four daytime matches in the first round had no upsets. Zhejiang’s night game, a 1-2 loss to HSFA Hwaseong, kicked off the China-Korea challenge with unprecedented intense battles and a fast pace. The opponent’s style of “long balls to the back and relentless one-on-one breakthroughs on the wings” left a strong impression on Feng Yang.

"Hwaseong’s tactics are rare among the opponents we’ve faced. They constantly launched high balls and pressed us in our own half, speeding up the game’s tempo while making it difficult for us to organize attacks and control the match in our way." This match convinced Feng Yang the trip was worthwhile, as encounters with teams of different styles are rare. However, this game also added two injured players to his main lineup.

In the second round, they lost 0-1 to Guangdong Mintu. Although the opponent was superior in midfield organization, the decisive factor influencing the match was each team's forwards’ ability to capitalize on scoring opportunities.

"This problem has repeatedly appeared in our team halfway through the schedule and has yet to be properly solved," said Feng Yang. Meanwhile, deficiencies in one-on-one defensive skills at certain positions are being improved through continuous review and matches.

In the third round, Zhejiang defeated Chengdu Football Association 2-1; the latter had just beaten Hwaseong by one goal the day before. Yet only a day later, Zhejiang, back on track and clearly restraining the opponent, wasted many scoring chances and lost 0-1 again. The players were dissatisfied; captain Guo Rundong believed the team improved match by match, with both individual and collective progress daily in Dingnan. Feng Yang said, "The stronger the opponent, the higher the match’s value, and the greater the team's gains."

Before the match, Incheon United’s head coach knew Zhejiang was one of the strong teams in the tournament. "Against such a team, our shot attempts would significantly decrease." Therefore, he changed from an aggressive attacking style to stronger defense, aiming to improve attack efficiency. From the match, this approach worked well.

It is reported that due to some players being reassigned, the Zhejiang U15 squad of 21 players coming to Dingnan includes seven newly recruited players who are still adapting to the team’s tactical requirements. The “462 Cup” features matches every day, leaving them little time.

To integrate the team quickly and allow experienced players to lead the newcomers, the coaching staff applied to the Chinese Football Association and received approval. Players Guo Rundong, Chen Jianfeng, and Hua Zixuan postponed their reporting to the U15 national youth training camp. Chen Jianfeng, a wing-back who fractured his nasal bone in round two, will wear a newly customized protective mask starting from round five.

Compared to last year, when players were frequently pulled to support other age groups, this year Zhejiang U15’s competition schedule includes the China Youth League and the National Youth Three-Ball Games. Feng Yang said the club places no performance demands on the China-Korea Challenge. "The kids can fully dedicate themselves to this new event, and starting their new year’s journey in Dingnan will greatly benefit their present and future development."

On the third day of the "462 Cup," after a heavy loss to Mintu, HSFA Hwaseong’s team went together to a barbecue restaurant near their base for dinner — their first meal outside the base since arriving in China. Head coach Choi Seong-ju wanted to help the players relax and also ensure these 14-15-year-old boys got enough nutrition to better face their fourth-round match against Shanghai Port U15, who remained unbeaten in the first three rounds.

Against Shanghai Port, Choi still did not field his full-strength lineup. Captain Xu Xun did not play; number 66, Huang Taiyun, replaced regular starter Kim Joo-won as center forward. The three midfielders were numbers 19 Gu Dong-yuk, 77 Ding Min-yun, and 22 Li Yu-jen. Perhaps inspired by the barbecue, Hwaseong adopted a high-pressing approach from the start. However, learning from their loss to Mintu, their defense did not push too high. Still, the disconnection between the six midfielders pressing in a 4-3-3 formation and the four defenders was severe. Once Shanghai Port's players passed beyond the first press line, they could quickly exploit the large midfield space to attack Hwaseong’s defense.

The midfield battle shifted midway through the first half when Huang Taiyun was fouled by a Shanghai Port defender inside the penalty area. He took and scored the penalty himself. It is common for youth players’ emotions to fluctuate after conceding. Hwaseong quickly capitalized on a Shanghai Port defensive error to score again. In the second half, both sides scored once more before another tug-of-war. Leading 3-1, Choi made extensive substitutions, which became the turning point. Shanghai Port scored three goals in the last seven minutes. First, substitute goalkeeper Guo Shengyi’s error allowed an open goal chance. Then Shanghai Port equalized quickly on a counterattack. Finally, in the dying moments, Shen Kuiyuan lost the ball in defense, and Shanghai Port scored the winning goal.

After the match, Choi said Hwaseong faced a major issue: when pressing high, defenders all focused on the ball without judging where it would land. They hope to solve this problem in Dingnan to prepare for the Gyeonggi-do Football Association Spring Tournament.

Hwaseong played the most exciting match of the tournament against Zhejiang on the first day but then suffered three straight defeats. Choi is unconcerned, focusing more on the process in youth matches — whether tactics are implemented and if players’ abilities improve during games.

"Shen Kuiyuan’s final mistake could have been avoided, but I did not blame him. He is a reserved kid," said Choi. "He wasn’t exactly wrong at that moment, just mishandled some details. I understand his desire to keep attacking to win."

After four rounds, Hwaseong, strong at the start, has only earned 3 points and ranks low. However, Choi admitted that playing against Zhejiang, Chengdu, Mintu, and Shanghai Port — all with different styles, some with fast-paced pressing, others with strong overall teamwork or excellent ball skills — greatly benefited Hwaseong’s preparation for the Gyeonggi-do Football Association Spring Tournament.

Choi noticed that at ages 14-15, Chinese players generally have better physical attributes than Korean players, which surprised him. This view was confirmed by Incheon United’s youth training director Kim Si-seok, who also said Chinese players’ ball skills exceeded his expectations, though their match performance still needs improvement.