"Overcame the Saudi home advantage but encountered an accident."

China lost 1-0 to Saudi Arabia in the seventh match of Group C in the third round of the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA North and Central America World Cup at King Saud University Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on the 21st (Korea time).

As expected, Saudi Arabia took the lead in the match. Thanks to the consecutive saves by goalkeeper Wang Dalei, China maintained a score of 0. Saudi Arabia had scored first, but the goal was canceled due to a handball foul.

While enduring without conceding, China made a critical mistake during first half stoppage time. Lin Liangming, a former youth player of Real Madrid, was directly sent off for a dangerous tackle with his foot raised high. He executed a "kung fu kick" aimed at the head of Hassan Kaddesh, who was attempting a header, and the referee promptly showed a red card.

Lin Liangming protested that it was unintentional, but it was not accepted. He left the field amid the consolation of his teammates. Kaddesh, who was struck in the face and had a strong blow to his chest, also could not continue the match. He was carried off on a stretcher and replaced by Ali Razavi.

With only 10 players, China could no longer hold out. Just five minutes into the second half, they allowed Salem Al-Dawsari to take a shot with his right foot in front of the goal, resulting in a conceded goal. Minutes later, in the 70th, they almost conceded another goal but it was canceled for offside.

With a numerical disadvantage, China could not turn the game around. They were primarily focused on blocking the offensive onslaught from Saudi Arabia throughout the second half. Ultimately, the match ended with a 1-0 victory for Saudi Arabia.

Xinhua Sports reported on the 21st that Korean media mocked the Chinese national football team's dashed hopes of qualifying for the North and Central America World Cup.

In this tournament, expanded to 48 countries, the Asian region will have the top 1-2 teams from three groups in the third round of qualifiers to secure tickets to the finals. The teams finishing 3rd and 4th from these six teams will progress to the fourth round, divided into two groups. Each group winner will obtain additional tickets to the finals. The second-placed teams will face off in a one-match playoff in the fifth round, with the winning team proceeding to the FIFA intercontinental playoff.

Xinhua Sports reported that Korean media were mocking Chinese football after the match.

They specifically conveyed reactions from Korean media, introducing articles with headlines such as "'Kung fu kick red card' China loses to Saudi Arabia... remains at the bottom with clouds over World Cup hopes," and "Murder kick to the face 'Chinese Shaolin Football' red card embarrassment... 0-1 loss to Saudi Arabia leaves World Cup hopes in jeopardy," stating that "the national team faced 'collective mockery' from Korean media."

Adding insult to injury, Chinese media failed to grasp the reality. Citizen Evening News stated, "The red card changed the situation," adding, "China did not lag behind a strong opponent, especially in defense. Despite having a home team advantage, they managed to block the opponent's attacks. However, just before halftime, China encountered an accident."

They continued, "First of all, central defender Zhang Guangtai could not continue due to injury and was substituted. At this moment, Lin Liangming raised his leg too high and struck the opponent's head. This immediately led to a red card, leaving them at a numerical disadvantage with just 10 players."

This suggests that China played well. Rather, Saudi Arabia played with ease, but Chinese media found it hard to offer objective evaluations.

On the other hand, fans' reactions are different. They faced reality.

NetEase noted, "Lin Liangming was almost flying and could have hit the opponent's face! This is a very dangerous and vicious foul," adding that "Branko Ivanković, the Chinese coach, was also taken aback by the sudden incident. He wore a very serious expression."

Fans' reactions are also cold. Chinese fans lamented, "Why does the Chinese national team always end up being the fool? Overall, their IQ seems to be below average," saying, "This is football. You shouldn't kick above the head with your foot but the ball." There were also voices pointing out, "Putting lives at risk with Shaolin martial arts on the football field is an evil habit that originated from the Chinese league."

China is now really on the edge. Sohu lamented, "How passive was the Chinese national team? They had a possession rate of 22% and no scoring chances. With one less player, they had no choice but to park the bus and lacked any strength for counterattacks," warning, "China will face Australia at home. If they lose, direct qualification for the World Cup will be impossible."

[OSEN]