The 'murder kick' has made it likely that China will miss the World Cup for the sixth consecutive time.

On the 21st (Korean time), China lost 1-0 to Saudi Arabia in the 7th match of Group C of the 2026 FIFA North and Central American World Cup Asian third qualifying round held at King Saud University Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

As expected, Saudi Arabia dominated the game. China managed to maintain the score at 0 thanks to goalkeeper Wang Dalei's consecutive saves. Although Saudi Arabia first found the net, the goal was canceled due to a handball foul.

While China was holding on without conceding, they faced a major incident during the first-half stoppage time. Lin Liangming, a former Real Madrid youth player, was sent off with a direct red card for a dangerous tackle that raised his foot high. He executed a 'kung fu kick' toward the head of Hassan Kadeshi, who was attempting a header, and the referee immediately showed a red card.

Lin Liangming protested that it was unintentional, but there was no chance of that being accepted. He left the field amid the consolation of his teammates. Kadeshi, who suffered a strong blow to the chest, was also unable to continue and was substituted by Ali Rajami as he was carried off on a stretcher.

China, now down to 10 men, could not hold out any longer. Just five minutes into the second half, they allowed Salem Al Dawsari to shoot with his right foot in front of the goal, resulting in a goal against them. In the 70th minute, they almost conceded again, but it was ruled offside.

With a numerical disadvantage, China could not find a way to turn the game around. They spent the entire second half merely defending against Saudi Arabia's advances. Ultimately, the match ended with a 1-0 victory for Saudi Arabia.

On that day, China managed only three shots over the entire 90 minutes, and there were no shots on target. They focused on holding out to secure one point on the road against Saudi Arabia, but everything fell apart due to Lin Liangming's needless red card.

Ironically, China lost in a comeback to Saudi Arabia last September while playing with 10 men at home. At that time, China took the lead due to an own goal from their opponent and seized the momentum after Mohammed Kano was sent off in the 19th minute of the first half. However, they ended up losing after conceding two goals to Kadeshi in the 39th minute and the 45th minute.

This time, China found themselves fighting with 10 men, but unlike Saudi Arabia, they collapsed helplessly. With this defeat, China remains at 6 points (2 wins and 5 losses) and cannot escape the bottom of the group. Fortunately, Indonesia and Bahrain, competing for 4th place (both with 6 points), lost to Australia and Japan, respectively.

Criticism is emerging regarding Lin Liangming's reckless tackle that ruined the match for China.

NetEase noted, "Lin Liangming almost flew into the opponent's face! This is a very dangerous and malicious foul," adding, "Branko Ivankovic, the head coach of China, was also incredulous about the sudden incident. He wore a very serious expression."

Fan reactions are also cold. Chinese fans expressed, "Why does the China national team always end up looking foolish? Overall, it seems like the IQ is below average," and "This is football. You should kick the ball with your foot, not aim above your head." There were also voices pointing out, "Putting lives at risk by using Shaolin martial arts on the football field. This is all due to the bad habits formed in the Chinese league."

China is now truly on the brink. 'Sohu' lamented, "How passive was the China national team? They had only 22% possession and zero scoring opportunities. With one less player, they could only park the bus and had no chance to counterattack," further pointing out, "China will face Australia at home. If they lose, direct qualification for the World Cup will be impossible."

On that day, Saudi Arabia recorded 80% ball possession while China had 20%. In total shots, Saudi Arabia had 19, while China had 3, and for shots on target, Saudi Arabia had 7 and China had 0. China was unable to put up any significant resistance and ultimately fell apart.

[OSEN]