N. Korea blow lead in loss to China in men's football

North Korea suffered a 2-1 defeat to China in their opening match of the men's football tournament at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Wednesday. Despite taking an early lead, North Korea failed to maintain their advantage and ended up losing to Zhang Yuning's goal in the 44th minute and Wu Xi's goal in the 68th minute. The North Koreans will face the United Arab Emirates in their next match at 7 p.m. Sunday and will also play against Iran at 2:30 p.m. next Wednesday, both games at the Kariya venue.

Coach Ri Kwang-chon's team aimed to secure their first Asian Games men's football medal since finishing as silver medalists in 2014 in Incheon. North Korea saw their efforts thwarted twice by the crossbar in the second half, with Cho Ryong-il hitting it in the 57th minute and Paek Chung-song in the 82nd minute. Despite outshooting China 19-10 and dominating possession with a 65-35 advantage, North Korea's efforts were not enough to secure a win. The top two teams from each of the four groups in men's football will advance to the quarterfinals.