CHN-POR | For 7/8 | #TWG2025 Korfball

Match report 📰

12/8/2025 – Both teams began cautiously. Portugal opened with a neat cut-in and pass-out for the first goal, but China immediately answered with a long shot to level at 1-1 within two minutes. The sides traded a long shot for Portugal and a penalty for China, 2-2. Portugal edged ahead 5-3, but China kept in touch, hitting a long shot to trail 6-5.

Early in the second quarter, China’s quick pass set up a cut-in to tie at 6-6. Fei Xiao (17) then struck his third long-range goal of the match, sparking a surge that gave China a 10-7 lead with four minutes left. Their superior accuracy from distance extended the advantage to 13-9 at half-time.

Portugal tightened their defence after the break, holding China scoreless for six minutes before reducing the gap to 13-10 with a running-in shot. China replied instantly, 14-10, but Portugal chipped away, closing to 16-14 with just over a minute to play in the third quarter.

Portugal struck first in the final period, 16-15, then levelled at 16-16 with five minutes left. China, still without a goal in the quarter, used their last time-out with three minutes remaining. Júlio (16) fired a medium shot to give Portugal their first lead, 17-16, before a final running-in shot sealed an 18-16 comeback victory.