Korea Beats China in E-1 Football Championship Opener

Korea defeated China 3-0 on Wednesday in its first match of the East Asian Football Federation (EAFF) E-1 Football Championship in Toyota, Japan.

Forward Cho Gue-sung and midfielder Kwon Chang-hoon each scored a goal, while China erred with an own goal. Midfielder Hwang In-beom was responsible for setting up both goals with his agile maneuvering and precision passes.

Korea, China, Hong Kong and Japan are competing in a round robin tournament for the championship title. Korea won in 2015, 2017 and 2019 and faces off against Hong Kong on July 24 and Japan on July 27.

The Korean national squad consists mostly of K-League players. Those playing in Europe are not included since the EAFF event is not part of the FIFA international calendar.

The tournament offers the last chance for coach Paolo Bento to judge the form of K-League players before deciding on the roster for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar in November.