WANG JINGBIN scored the equalizer for China in the 89th minute before the hosts beat Croatia 5-4 after penalty shootouts to finish third in the 2017 China Cup on Saturday.

    After Luka Ivanusec opened the account for Croatia in the 36th minute, Wang, who replaced Hui Jiakang in the 76th minute, swung in his equalizing header 13 minutes later, just on his second touch of the ball.

    “The goal is teamwork. I was just in the right place to finish the job,” said Wang, 21, who was making his debut as a professional soccer player, “It’s a good start for me. But I still have a long way to go.”

    China thus forced the match to penalty a shootout. Antonio Perosevic hit his kick against the bar in the third attempt, before Croatian goalkeeper Andrej Prskalo blocked the shot from Fan Xiaodong.

    Then the Chinese goalie Shi Xiaotian came on the stage as he stopped the effort of Josip Misic in the fifth round before Wang Jinxian made it to secure the victory for the hosts.

    “Penalty is always lottery,” said Ante Cacic, head coach of Croatia. “We played much better in the match and should have finished the match earlier. China is luckier today.”

    The match also marked the first goal as well as the first win for Marcello Lippi after he was appointed Oct. 22 last year to guide the Chinese national team.

    Lippi made two substitutions after the break, and his disciples responded with their first clear-cut chance in the 59th minute.

    During the second half, Chinese goalie Shi continued to dive for his saves while the visitors wasted their chances time and again. After Wang scored the equalizer, Shi made another huge effort, blocking the last shot of Franko Andrijasevic in the 90th minute to force the match into penalty kicks.

    “We met a very tough opponent today but we never gave up,” said Lippi, “I want to thank all my players. They played quite better in the second half and it’s lucky for us to win on penalties. What surprises me most is that we played like a team in the second half.”

    “As a coach, I want to build confidence in my players. I want to tell them that as long as they contribute all they have on the court, they will face all opponents without fear. It doesn’t mean that we can win all matches, but we shall fear no one in matches,” said Lippi.

    “Wang played for only about 15 minutes, so I think it’s difficult for me to tell what kind of player he is,” Lippi spoke of scorer Wang Jingbin, “but he scored a goal and a penalty. This is just fascinating.”

    It’s the first win for China after it beat Trinidad and Tobago 4-2 in a friendly in June last year.

    On March 23, China will play South Korea in Changsha for their World Cup qualifier.

    The China Cup, launched by the Wanda Group and the Chinese Football Association, is an A-grade international event acknowledged by world soccer governing body FIFA.(Xinhua)