CHINA - CROATIA 5:4 (1:1, 0:1)
China Cup, 3rd place match
Guangxi Stadium, Nanning.
Referee: H. J. Ko (South Korea)
Goals: 0:1 - Ivanušec (36'), 1:1 - Jingbin (89')
Cautions: Jiakang (44'), Tudor (48'), Antolić (53')
Penalties: 1:2 - Pivarić, 2:2 - Hongbo, 2:3 - Ozobić, 3:3 - Zhongguo, Perošević - hits the bar, Xiaodong - Prskalo saves, 3:4 - Juranović, 4:4 - Jingbin, Mišić - Xiaotian saves, 5:4 - Jinxian
China: Shi Xiaotian, Pei Shuai, Fan Xiaodong, Yang Shanping (65' Wang Jinxian), Gao Zhunyi (46' Feng Gang), Cai Huikang (46' Hu Rentian), Yin Hongbo, Deng Hanwen, Chi Zhongguo, Cui Min, Hui Jiakang (75' Wang Jingbin). Head coach: M. Lippi.
Croatia: Prskalo, Pivarić, Datković, Filipović, Juranović, Antolić (65' Perošević), Mišić, Barišić (90+1' Ozobić), Ivanušec (80' Matas), Tudor (68' Šitum), Marić (46' Andrijašević). Head coach: A. Čačić.
Following the Chile encounter on Wednesday, Ante Čačić's men took on China on Saturday and had to deal with the second penalty shootout in just a couple of days time.
First two opportunities against the Chinese were missed by Tudor in opening minutes, both headers, and Datković threatened in the same manner after Mišić's corner in 26th minute.
China rarely tested Prskalo, while Croatia took the lead in 36th minute, when Ivanušec finished strongly after a Tudor's assists from the right, becoming youngest Croatia senior national team goalscorer in history.
Carrying a one-goal advantage into second half, Tudor failed to convert a one-on-one situation with Xiaotian, with Barišić and Perošević trying shots from the edge of the box.
However, China managed to equalize in the closing minutes, when Jingbin header at the near post found its way under Prskalo to make it 1:1.
Pivarić, Ozobić, and Juranović converted their penalty kicks for Croatia, Perošević hit the bar and the goal-line, while Xiaotian stopped Mišić in Croatia's last attempt. Prskalo saved Xiaodong effort, but Jinxian closed the proceedings and initiated Chinese celebrations.
China thus won third place at China Cup, with Chile and Iceland to decide on the trophy on Sunday.
Photo: CFA
