Chinese Taipei U20 kept their AFC Championship hopes alive with a 2-0 win over Singapore U20 in Group Stage three. Sung Chi-Chan scored both goals as the hosts moved clear on the night. The result came after a tight contest where neither side really took control.
And here's the thing about this game — you could sense the tension building well before the breakthrough. By then, both sides had been cautious, trading possession but not creating much. The breakthrough finally came in the 63rd minute when Sung Chi-Chan found space to fire home.
To be fair, Singapore had their chances but couldn't convert. The visitors pressed forward after going behind, but Chinese Taipei's defence held firm. They tightened things up and kept Singapore at bay for the remainder of the half.
The second goal arrived in the 82nd minute, again from Sung Chi-Chan. This time it was a clinical finish that put the result beyond doubt. The visitors never really looked like getting back into the game after that.
Chinese Taipei's recent form gives them momentum going forward. They beat Macao 5-0 and came from behind to edge past Bhutan 2-1 in their last outing. Singapore, meanwhile, have struggled of late — losing 2-0 to Jordan twice and falling to Hong Kong at home.
What this means is that Chinese Taipei have now taken maximum points from their opening group matches. Singapore will need to find more urgency if they want to stay in contention. The gap between them is starting to look significant.