Hosts Wuhan claimed women's soccer title at the 6th Chinese City Games with an unbeaten run, beating Dalian 1-0 in the final here on Saturday.
Wuhan's Zeng Ying headed in the winning goal in the 40th minute.
More than 10,000 home fans cheered for Wuhan and it was the most exciting atmosphere since the 6th Chinese City Games kicked off.
The hosts dominated the first half. Ma Jun, newly enrolled in the national team who had scored six times in the previous five matches, launched a powerful shot in the box in the 20th minute but it was saved by Dalian's goalkeeper Sun Yan.
After the interval, the duel went on tougher. New national team member Zi Jingjing's close-range shot went wide.
Dalian's Hou Lijia made a long-distance shot at the 70th minute, but the ball skimmed across the post. In the last two minutes, Dalian got a corner kick but they squandered their last chance to tie the score.
It was Wuhan's sixth consecutive win in all the women's soccer matches at the City Games.
"We are happy to win the title. Actually Dalian is quite strong, and our victory did not come easy. I appreciate my players very much and they brought a historical breakthrough for Wuhan," said Zhao Lichun, Wuhan's head coach.
"We are very excited now. Our win depends on our teamwork," said Ma Jun, only 18, the youngest player in the newly-shaped national team.
Dalian's head coach Shi Lei told Xinhua that they didn't play well in the match.
In the third-place playoff, Nantong beat Guangzhou 4-3.
Source: Xinhua/Agencies
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