The first phase of the China-Korea Youth Competition has concluded! South Korea holds three spots in the championship group, while Evergrande Football School stages a comeback to end Seongnam’s undefeated streak.

Reported by Zuo Ruifa from Dingnan, Jiangxi On the 17th, the first phase of the “462 Cup” inaugural China-Korea Youth Football Elite Competition concluded its group stage contests. In four China-Korea clashes, Seongnam FC—the only unbeaten team after five rounds—was crushed 4-1 by Evergrande Football School, Incheon United stayed undefeated to claim first place, Yongin FC’s 4-0 victory over Guizhou Football Association secured them a spot in the top eight, and despite HSFA Hwaseong’s narrow win over Henan stopping a four-match losing streak, they still failed to qualify for the championship group.

Evergrande Football School 4-1 Seongnam FC

In the 14th minute, Seongnam FC’s number 28, Kim Min-hwa, scored a long-range goal. After coming back from three goals down to draw against Incheon United in the third round, Evergrande Football School scored four consecutive goals in the second half to complete a remarkable turnaround. At the 54th minute, number 10 Huang Sile scored following a teammate’s cut-back from the left; at the 55th minute, number 9 Zhu Yuhao penetrated the box to add another goal; at the 66th minute, Seongnam’s right flank was breached again, allowing Zhu Yuhao to score his second goal of the match. In the 81st minute, Seongnam’s goalkeeper misdirected a clearance to an opponent’s feet, and number 38 Liu Zihan scored into an empty net. This loss cost Seongnam their top spot, while Evergrande Football School moved into the top three.

Incheon United 1-0 Guangdong Mingtu

In this highly anticipated China-Korea clash between second and third place teams tied on points before the match, Incheon United methodically rotated players yet maintained control of the game’s rhythm and field position. In the 37th minute, Lee Ji-won and Lee Geon-su launched an attack from the left wing, with the latter being fouled inside the box by a Guangdong defender just before shooting. The on-field captain, number 19 Lee Yoo-jun, converted the penalty. Guangdong Mingtu, trailing 0-1, intensified their pressing and wing attacks in the second half, creating at least two threatening shots, but none found the target, allowing the Korean side to ascend to first place.

HSFA Hwaseong 2-1 Henan

This match was fiercely contested, with both teams on losing streaks eager to break their slump. However, HSFA Hwaseong, known for their high pressing and aggressive attacks, took control early. Within 20 minutes, number 66 Huang Taiyun and number 19 Gu Dongyuk each scored once. Despite trailing, Henan did not give up; however, number 35 Li Guo’ao was sent off after receiving two yellow cards in quick succession during a confrontation, leaving Henan at a disadvantage with 10 men from early on. At the 60th minute, number 17 Wu Junqi scored a consolation goal for Henan.

Guizhou Football Association 1-5 Yongin FC

Before the match, Yongin held 7 points and the advantage to advance, facing Guizhou Football Association who had 6 points from 2 wins in 5 games. At the 18th minute, number 10 Nam Seung-woo began his personal showcase by completing a first-half hat trick, and before halftime, teammate number 20 Hong Rongbin extended the lead to four with a lob into an empty net. At the 54th minute, number 11 Jung Min-joon added another goal. Guizhou’s number 15 Xie Chenyu scored a consolation goal at the 70th minute. Ultimately, Yongin secured the win and finished the first phase with 3 wins, 1 draw (penalty loss), and 10 points, ranking seventh.

In four other matches held the same day, Chengdu Football Association drew 1-1 with Xi’an Sports School in regular time but lost 5-6 on penalties; Zhejiang FC defeated Wuhan Three Towns 2-1 to rise into the top eight; Dingnan Dream won 4-2 against Shenzhen Xinpengcheng, earning the host’s third victory in the tournament; Shanghai Port beat Ganzhou Youth Training Center 4-0, climbing to second place with an unbeaten six-game streak. After this round, 24 of 32 China-Korea confrontations have finished, with Korean teams leading 16 to 8.

At the end of the first phase, the top eight advancing to the championship group are Incheon United (17 points), Shanghai Port (17), Evergrande Football School (16), Seongnam FC (15), Guangdong Mingtu (14), Wuhan Three Towns (12), Yongin FC (10), and Zhejiang FC (9). Dingnan Dream, Chengdu Football Association, HSFA Hwaseong, Xi’an Sports School, Guizhou Football Association, Henan, Ganzhou Youth Training Center, and Shenzhen Xinpengcheng enter the ranking group.