Steel Roses retain Four Nations crown

Meizhou: China PR have once again been crowned champions of their home-based Four Nations Tournament, defeating Korea Republic 1-0 at Wuhua County Olympic Sports Centre on Sunday.

The format may have changed from round-robin to knockout, but the identity of the competition winners has now remained the same since 2016, with the hosts winning the title for the fourth consecutive year.

Gu Yasha's sweetly struck left-footed half-volley on the quarter-hour mark proved decisive for Jia Xiuquan's team, who have now registered four wins in a row against their East Asian rivals, and strung together six consecutive victories against all opposition.

Both teams featured their full complement of big names, with Wang Shuang, Li Ying and Wang Shanshan starting for the hosts, while the visitors included Ji So-yun, Lee Min-a and new West Ham United signing Cho So-hyun.

The sides traded chances before Gu's opener, but, although the hosts had the better chances in the second half, strong goalkeeping from Kang Ga-ae ensured the Steel Roses were unable to add to their lead.

Gu's match-winning goal is the latest success for the 28-year-old, who has become a key feature of the Chinese side, starting in all but one of their matches at the 2018 AFC Asian Cup, and earning the MVP Award at last October's Yongchuan Tournament.

Their win is another positive step on the road to June's FIFA Women's World Cup, where they will meet Germany, Spain and South Africa in Group B, while Korea Republic have drawn with host nation France as well as Nigeria and Norway.
Source: the-afc.com