The U16 Boys' Football Quarterfinalists of the 15th National Games Have Been Decided: Shanghai to Face Shandong, Guangdong to Take on Jiangsu

Reported by Wang Wei On September 8, following the conclusion of the third round of group matches in the U16 boys' football event at the 15th National Games, the quarterfinalists were finalized. In two highlight matches, host Guangdong held Shandong to a 0-0 draw at the Wuhua Olympic Sports Center Huitang Stadium, both teams progressing, with Guangdong leading Group A on goal difference; in Group B, Shanghai beat Jiangsu 4-3, finishing first, with Jiangsu second. Quarterfinal matchups are Guangdong vs. Jiangsu, Zhejiang vs. Beijing; Shanghai vs. Shandong, Shaanxi vs. Hubei. According to the schedule, quarterfinals will be held on September 11 in Wuhua, Meizhou.

Because the quarterfinal pairings following the group stage were at stake, matches between Guangdong and Shandong, and Shanghai and Jiangsu were played simultaneously at 19:45 on September 8. With all four teams tied at 3 points each, the results of these games would determine quarterfinal matchups and the distribution of teams into the upper and lower halves of the bracket.

In this game, Guangdong made two changes to their starting lineup: Shi Zimo and Wang Hanyu, who started in the first round, were moved to the bench, replaced by Wang Heyi and Zhong Xianghong in the starting eleven. Shandong fielded five youth national team players—Zhang Junhao, Kong Xinuo, Zhang Xuyao, Li Junpeng, and Lu Junbo—in their starting lineup. The first half was cautious from both sides. After halftime, substitutions were made, and both teams increased their attacking efforts, especially after Shanghai took the lead in the other match, intensifying the competition as both sides sought victory to secure the best knockout position. In the late second half, Guangdong’s forward Wang Feiniya (number 11) had a great scoring chance but failed to convert. The match ended in a 0-0 draw. Guangdong advanced as Group A winner based on goal difference, with Shandong finishing second.

After the match, Guangdong’s head coach Guo Zichao said: “Both teams had scoring opportunities in this match against Shandong, but the players couldn’t capitalize. Although we qualified as group leaders, I believe there are no weak teams in this tournament; every team in the quarterfinals is strong. We must be mentally prepared to face challenges and cannot afford any complacency. We have to fight for every match.” Guangdong’s knockout opponent will be Jiangsu, the runner-up of Group B.

The contest between Shanghai and Jiangsu was clearly more intense: in the 22nd minute, Shanghai’s striker Li Wenbo opened the scoring; Jiangsu equalized at the 30th minute with a 1-1 score. At the 42nd minute, Jiangsu took the lead 2-1. At the 50th minute, Li Wenbo scored again for Shanghai to level at 2-2. One minute later, Shanghai’s Zhang Yu scored on a rebound to make it 3-2. However, Jiangsu equalized again at the 83rd minute to 3-3. The battle heated up further until one minute later Li Wenbo completed his hat-trick, sealing a 4-3 victory for Shanghai.

After the match, Li Wenbo, who scored a hat-trick for Shanghai, said: “This was a very intense match. We stuck to our tactical approach and followed the coach’s instructions. Every player fought hard until the final moment. I am very satisfied with scoring three goals and excited to help the team secure the win.” Ultimately, Shanghai advanced as Group B winner and will face Shandong, the runner-up of Group A, in the quarterfinals.

In Group C, Shaanxi and Chongqing played a 1-1 draw, while Zhejiang defeated Hong Kong 4-0. Zhejiang and Shaanxi finished as the top two in the group and advanced to the quarterfinals. In Group D, Hubei beat Beijing 4-2, with both teams finishing as the top two and qualifying for the quarterfinals. According to the grouping, Guangdong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Beijing enter the upper half of the bracket; Shanghai, Shandong, Shaanxi, and Hubei enter the lower half. The quarterfinal matchups are Guangdong vs. Jiangsu, Zhejiang vs. Beijing in the upper half; Shanghai vs. Shandong, Shaanxi vs. Hubei in the lower half.