U23 China’s Opponents Pull a Fast One, Force a Rule Change to Make It 11v10—Only to Be Stunned by Wang Yudong’s 65-Meter Long-Range Winner

China’s U23 national team is in full preparation mode for the U23 Asian Cup, and they recently earned a 1–0 win over Kyrgyzstan in a warm-up match—but the game delivered a surprising twist.

On December 23, in the friendly against Kyrgyzstan, an unexpected incident occurred early. Before 10 minutes had even passed, the referee inexplicably sent off a Chinese defender, forcing China to play 10 vs 11 for most of the match.

About ten minutes later, Kyrgyzstan also saw a player dismissed after receiving a second yellow card. However, an unusual pre-match arrangement changed the situation entirely. Kyrgyzstan had reportedly asked the referee in advance to ensure the friendly remained “useful” for preparation: if a player received a straight red card, the team would play a man down, but if the red card resulted from two yellow cards, the player would leave the field and could not return—yet the team would be allowed to substitute another player to keep 11 men on the pitch.

As a result, despite Kyrgyzstan’s dismissal, the match effectively stayed at 11 vs 10 in their favor.

Even so, China’s U23 side showed composure and resilience. Wang Yudong produced the defining moment with a spectacular long-range lob from around 65 meters, sealing a dramatic 1–0 victory despite the numerical disadvantage.

According to the original plan, the two teams were set to play another friendly. But after the defeat, Kyrgyzstan unilaterally canceled the rematch. They instead arranged a warm-up against a local UAE club from the third-tier league—and went on to win 6–0.