Chinese U16 player Kuang Zhaolei (center) competes for the ball in the game against South Korea in Shenyang, Northeast China's Liaoning Province on July 8, 2025. Photo: VCG

The Chinese national under-16 team suffered a narrow defeat to their South Korean counterparts in a seven-goal thriller at the International Juvenile Peace Cup invitational in Shenyang, Northeast China's Liaoning Province on Tuesday, but their performance rekindled fresh hopes for Chinese football. 

At the Shenyang Urban Stadium, center back Lu Qizheng of China scored the opening goal with a header in the 7th minute, before South Korean forward Kim Ji-ho equalized in the 12th minute. Kim and Nam Ian netted another two to keep the Koreans leading 3-1 before halftime break.

The Chinese players quickly reignited their momentum after winger Kuang Zhaolei narrowed the gap in the 56th minute, before substitute Xie Jin scored another in two minutes to level the scoreboard. 

However, the momentum of the Chinese team was cut short after South Korean defender Choi Min-jun re-established the team's lead in the 66th minute. Choi was given a yellow card when his celebration went too far by provoking Chinese fans.

China's head coach Ukishima Bin had to bring on all offensive players, including Wang Feiniya, a biracial Chinese player who has been instrumental in creating goal-scoring opportunities.

Though the Chinese players did make some opportunities, their efforts did not turn into goals in the remaining match time. The result means that the South Korea team, who did not concede any match, won the invitational, while China are the runners-up. 

A total of 6,781 spectators watched the U16 invitational match, which was held in the wake of the Chinese senior national team's 3-0 defeat to South Korea in the East Asian Football Championship on Monday in South Korea. 

However, while to the senior national team's defeat drew a huge wave of criticism, the young Chinese footballers won mainly applause.

"A victory for China could be a huge confidence booster for the national youth squad, but this defeat is not unacceptable as it shows that domestic youth development programs are bearing fruit," Beijing-based football commentator Sun Yu­xuan told the Global Times. 

"This match is not just about the present but also about the future, the young players could also grow mentally after the defeat." 

Led by Japanese coach Ukishima Bin, the Chinese U16 team has shown remarkable resilience in this invitational tournament, which features China, Japan, South Korea and Uzbekistan. 

In their opening match against Japan, they found themselves trailing in the first half but managed to salvage a 1-1 draw, with substitute Liang Shiyu scoring a lightning-quick equalizer. 

Their second game against Uzbekistan was even more dramatic. 

Kuang Zhaolei stunned the opposition with a goal just 117 seconds into the match. Although Uzbekistan equalized in first-half stoppage time, Zhou Yunuo stepped up in the 88th minute with a stunning long-range shot to secure a 2-1 victory for China. 

Under the Japanese coach, the Chinese U16 team has been implementing a combination of possession-based football and long-ball counterattacks. 

Their high-press system has been effective, as seen in their match against Japan, where they managed to disrupt the Japanese attack and win the ball back in offensive areas frequently.