WUHAN, March 30– Defending champion Wuhan Jiangda was eliminated from the AFC Women’s Champions League after a 4-0 defeat to South Korea’s Suwon FC Women in the quarterfinals on Sunday.
Wuhan went into the match at Hankou Cultural and Sports Center under new coach Liu Lin with limited preparation time. Five key players, including Wang Shuang, Yao Wei, Wu Haiyan, Chen Chen and Peng Shimeng, had returned only 10 days earlier from the Women’s Asian Cup, leaving little time for full-squad training. Suwon took the lead in the 12th minute when Choi Yu-ri delivered a cross from the right and Ji So-yun finished. Wuhan thought they had equalized five minutes later through Deng Mengye, but the goal was disallowed for offside. Wang came closest for the host team before halftime, creating two clear chances, but Suwon doubled the lead in the 35th minute through Haruhi Suzuki’s effort. Kim Hye-ri, part of Wuhan’s title-winning squad last season, extended Suwon’s advantage early in the second half with a header from a corner. Wuhan increased the pressure and won a series of corners but was unable to convert. Jeon Min-ji added a fourth in stoppage time to seal the result. The semifinals are scheduled for May, with Suwon set to face Naegohyang Women’s FC of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Australia’s Melbourne City will meet Japan’s Tokyo Verdy Beleza in the other semifinal.
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