Wei Zijian Photo: VCG

The Chinese under-18 national football team finished their China-Japan-Korea Junior Sports Exchange Meet in second place after suffering a 2-1 defeat to their South Korean counterparts.

Despite dominating possession and mounting continuous pressure, the Chinese team failed to hold off the offense of the South Korean U18 team in the title-deciding match. 

It was Chinese player Wei Zijian's goal during stoppage time in the second half that narrowed the deficit to 2-1. The Chinese team could have won the championship with a draw. 

The South Korean team, effectively the youth outfit of K-League club Incheon United, snatched the championship with a perfect winning streak record.

Led by Dejan Djurdjevic, the Chinese team had arrived in Baotou buzzing with confidence. 

Continuing their dominant run after an opening match with the local Baotou youth team, the Chinese national team then delivered a clinical 3-0 win over Japan's U18 team, based on the youth squad of Japanese club Shimizu S-Pulse, on Tuesday.

"The tournament served as a valuable scouting and evaluation tool, offering insight into player readiness ahead of the crucial U20 Asian Cup qualifiers," Ma Dexing, a senior football commentator, told the Global Times. 

"Over the course of three matches, the Chinese team demonstrated strong spirit and technical cohesion, especially against Japan and South Korea. Those qualities, beyond raw results, were among the most significant gains of this exchange event."

Ma argues that the true measure of the squad's quality, especially when compared with players of the same age across Asia, can only be revealed through more international competitions. 

The current Chinese U18 team was expected to disband in Baotou on Wednesday, with players returning to their clubs or institutions. 

The coaching and support staff will reconvene at the national training base in Xianghe, North China's Hebei Province, to begin the second phase of preparations. A pool of 31 players, including Meizhou Hakka's Wei Xiangxin from the Chinese Super League, will be assembled for this next training cycle. 

Head coach Djurdjevic will then trim this roster to around 30 players who will form the core squad for the U20 Asian Cup qualification campaign, the CFA said. Djurdjevic was the head coach of the national under-20 team who led the national team to finish in the U20 Asian Cup as quarterfinalists. He was re-assigned as the under-18 national team as the Chinese Football Associations hopes he can lead a team to qualify for the U20 World Cup in 2027.

The China-Japan-Korea Junior Sports Exchange Meet has been held annually since 1993. It has become an important platform for young athletes from the three countries to compete and hold exchanges. This year's edition involved 11 sports and engaged around 1,242 athletes and officials from the three countries.

Beyond the field of play, the competition also prioritized cultural diplomacy among youth. 

From Thursday, participants will take part in immersive cultural activities, exploring the grassland heritage on the Saihantala City prairie, and visiting Baotou's museums that blend the city's northern historical legacy with its contemporary energy.