China began its women's football tournament at the Asian Games in Haiti-Nagoa by securing a convincing 5-1 victory over the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on Monday. Wang Shuang played a key role in this victory, scoring two goals and providing two assists.
In the first half of the match, China dominated and took the lead within 14 minutes. Former winger for PSG and Tottenham, Wang Shuang helped create space for Chen Qiaozhu, who converted a long-range shot. However, HKSAR managed to respond in the 31st minute, capitalizing on a defensive error to equalize the score.
China regained the advantage seven minutes after the opponent's goal: Si Yu scored with a header from a Zhang Rui corner, allowing the team to finish the first half with a score of 2-1.
In the second half, China completely controlled the game, which ultimately cemented the result. The substitution of Wang Yanwen immediately influenced the course of the game. Three minutes after entering the field, she received a pass from Wang Shuang in midfield and finished the attack, increasing the lead to 3-1.
Subsequently, Wang Shuang herself scored a goal. In the 79th minute, she scored after receiving the ball at a sharp angle, although the ball slightly deviated while entering the net. In the 89th minute, the veteran added a second goal while China was attacking near the opponent's penalty area.
The 31-year-old athlete concluded the match having been directly involved in four of the team's five goals. After the game, she emphasized that the result was more important to her than her personal contribution, noting the team's patience as an important quality.
China is participating in Group G alongside HKSAR, Uzbekistan, and the Philippines. The Philippines and Uzbekistan drew their first match 1-1, resulting in China becoming the only team in the group to earn three points in the first round of matches.
The tournament features 12 teams divided into three groups. The top two teams from each group, along with the two best third-placed teams, will advance to the quarter-finals.
China's next match is scheduled against Uzbekistan on Thursday, after which the team will conclude the group stage with matches against the Philippines on September 21.
