The power is literally continuing to diminish.

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

As expected, Saudi Arabia led the game. China managed to maintain a score of 0 thanks to the consecutive saves by goalkeeper Wang Dalei. Saudi Arabia first found the net, but the goal was canceled due to a handball foul.

While holding out without conceding a goal, China created a major incident during the first-half stoppage time. Lin Liangming, a youth player from Real Madrid, was sent off with a direct red card for a dangerous tackle after raising his foot high. He made a 'kung fu kick' aimed at the head of Hassan Kadehsi, who was attempting a header, prompting the referee to show the red card.

Lin Liangming protested that it was unintentional, but there was no way it would be accepted. He left the field amidst consolation from his teammates. Kadehsi, who was struck in the face and chest, also could not continue the match. He was carried off on a stretcher and replaced by Ali Rajami.

Reduced to 10 men, China could no longer hold out. Just five minutes into the second half, they conceded a goal to Salem Al-Dawsari's right-footed shot in front of the goal. In the 70th minute, they nearly conceded another goal, but it was canceled due to an offside ruling.

With a numerical disadvantage, China could not turn the tide. They were preoccupied with repelling Saudi Arabia's offensive throughout the second half. Ultimately, the match ended with a 1-0 victory for Saudi Arabia.

Xina Sports reported on the 21st that Korean media mocked the Chinese national football team's dreams of qualifying for the North American World Cup. In this tournament, which has been expanded to 48 teams, the top one or two teams from each of the three Asian qualifying groups will secure their spots in the finals. The 3rd to 4th place teams will advance to the fourth round, which will be divided into two groups. Here, the first team in each group will secure additional spots in the finals. The second-place teams will compete in a one-off playoff in the fifth round, and the winning team will participate in the FIFA intercontinental playoff.

Xina Sports reported that Korean media are mocking Chinese football following the match.

It particularly conveyed the reactions of Korean media, introducing articles with headlines like "'Kung fu kick' red card for China, loss to Saudi Arabia... maintaining bottom place, clouds over World Cup qualification", and "Murder kick to the face, 'Chinese Shaolin Soccer' embarrassingly sent off... loss to Saudi Arabia 0-1, facing another crisis of not being able to go to the World Cup," stating that "the national team has faced 'collective ridicule' from Korean media."

Moreover, the Chinese media failed to acknowledge reality. The Citizen Evening News stated, "The red card changed the situation," adding, "China did not fall behind against a strong opponent, especially in defense. Despite having home-team advantage, they defended against the opponent's attacks. However, just before the end of the first half, China encountered an incident."

It continued, "First, center back Zhang Guangtai could no longer play due to injury and was substituted. At this time, Lin Liangming raised his leg too high and struck the opponent's head. This immediately led to his expulsion, leaving them with 10 men in a numerical disadvantage."

Chinese 'Zhibo.com' stated, "Lin Liangming will receive additional punishment with a direct red card. Furthermore, Wang Xiangyuan also received a yellow card and will miss the match against Australia due to cumulative warnings." It emphasized, "In addition, most of the team’s players have yellow cards, making it difficult to qualify if they make another mistake in the match against Australia."

The media expressed concern, stating, "It will be difficult to defend physically in the match against Australia. If several players receive yellow cards and cannot participate, they will also miss the most crucial away match in Indonesia for the May A match. This truly puts them in the worst situation."

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