2019 Panda Cup

2019 Panda Cup

Tournament details
Host country	China
City	Chengdu
Dates	25–29 May 2019
Teams	4 (from 2 confederations)
Venue(s)	1 (in 1 host city)
Final positions
Champions	South Korea
Runners-up	Thailand
Third place	New Zealand
Fourth place	China
Tournament statistics
Matches played	6
Goals scored	15 (2.5 per match)
Top scorer(s)	Hwang JaeHwan
← 2018 2023 →

The 2019 Panda Cup was the sixth edition of the international youth association football competition.

The tournament was hosted in Chengdu between 25 and 29 May 2019, and was include an international youth football development forum as part of the event. Previously held as an under-19 event, Chengdu Football Association announced that the 2019 edition would be an under-18 event.^[1][2]

South Korea finished top of the standings for the tournament but were later stripped of the title following prizegiving celebrations which were considered offensive and disrespectful to both the tournament hosts and the Chinese people.^[3][4]

Participating teams

In May 2018, it was announced that hosts China had invited South Korea, New Zealand and Thailand to participate in the 2019 Panda Cup.^[2] Thailand opted to name an U-18 side in preparation for the 2019 AFF Under-18 Cup.,^[5] as did China and South Korea, while New Zealand elected to send their U17 side in preparation for the 2019 FIFA U-17 World Cup later in the year,^[6][7]

Team	Confederation
China (host)	AFC
South Korea	AFC
New Zealand	OFC
Thailand	AFC

Venues

Source: www.thecfa.cn
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Head to head; 3) Goal difference; 4) Number of goals scored;

South Korea	2–1	Thailand
Heo Yool 3' Cho Hyun Taek 10'	[8]	84' Anatcha Thepsiri

China	0–2	New Zealand
	[9]	43' Jesse Randall 72' (pen) Matthew Garbett

New Zealand	0–4	South Korea
		36' Kim Geon-oh 38' Lee Jin-yong 49' Kwon Hyeok-kyu 90' An Jae-jun

Thailand	2–0	China
Achitpol Keereerom 4' Sitthinan Rungrueang 42'	[10]

New Zealand	0–1	Thailand
		2' Achitpol Keereerom

South Korea	3–0	China
Hwang JaeHwan 52' 56' 79'

• Heo Yool
• Cho Hyun-taek
• Kim Geon-oh
• Lee Jin-yong
• Kwon Hyeok-kyu
• An Jae-jun
• Anatcha Thepsiri
• Sitthinan Rungrueang
• Jesse Randall
• Matthew Garbett

1. ^ "2019熊猫杯赛程出炉:中国U18国青5月底对阵韩国" (in Chinese). Sports.sina.com. Sina. 15 May 2019. Retrieved 17 May 2019.
2. ^ ^{a b} "Thailand to join hosts China PR, Korea Republic and New Zealand for Panda Cup 2019". www.foxsportsasia.com (in Thai). 23 April 2019. Retrieved 7 May 2019.
3. ^ "S Korea stripped of Panda Cup by China amid online outrage" Taipei Times/AFP (2019-05-31) http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/sport/archives/2019/05/31/2003716090
4. ^ "South Korean Youth Team apologises to organising committee". Chinese Football Association. Retrieved May 30, 2019.
5. ^ "Timnas U-18 Thailand Ikut Turnamen Panda Cup 2019". www.topskor.id (in Thai). Archived from the original on 4 June 2019. Retrieved 7 May 2019.
6. ^ "Fresh faces in Panda Cup squad". www.Nzfootball.co.nz. Archived from the original on 4 June 2019. Retrieved 21 May 2019.
7. ^ 熊猫杯前瞻-中韩大战备受期待 泰新黑马成色十足. sports.sina.cn (in Chinese). Sina News. 20 May 2019. Retrieved 20 May 2019.
8. ^ "เสียประตูเร็ว! ช้างศึก U19 พ่ายเกาหลีใต้ 1-2 ประเดิมแพนด้า คัพ". Sport.mthai.com (in Thai). Spor. MThai. Archived from the original on 25 May 2019. Retrieved 25 May 2019.
9. ^ "熊猫杯-U18国足0-2失利遭开门黑 后防两次送点". Sina.com (in Chinese). 25 May 2019. Retrieved 25 May 2019.
10. ^ "China U18 lose 2-0 to Thailand in Panda Cup". Xinhuanet (in Chinese). Archived from the original on May 27, 2019. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
11. ^ 熊猫杯组委会声明：对所有参与者的侮辱 必须道歉. Sina.com (in Chinese). 29 May 2019. Retrieved 30 May 2019.
12. ^ "脚踩-熊猫杯惹风波-韩足队道歉灭火". ChinaPress. 29 May 2019. Retrieved 30 May 2019.
13. ^ "Panda Cup 2019: Korea Republic U-18s stripped of the title by China despite public apology". FoxSportAsia. Fox Sports. 30 May 2019. Retrieved 31 May 2019.