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Lu Feng's late goal helped China hold off a late surge of Mexico on Saturday to collect a 4-3 victory in the final round Group A match of the 21st University Games men's soccer tournament.
China, who won the group with a maximum nine points, will play the Czech Republic in Monday's quarter-finals.
With the score tied at 3-3 and less than one minute left in the game, Lu Feng clashed with the Mexican goalkeeper Rodringuez Hugo in the air for a game-winner header.
Lu bent over the ground for more than 30 seconds before getting up to hear the final whistle.
Boosted by the scorings of the Chinese national team in their 2002 World Cup qualifying match against United Arab Emirates, which was broadcasted by the stadium radio, Xu Liang curled the ball over the top of the wall from 25 meters out to put China ahead in the 36th minute.
Three minutes later, Xu came back to make it 2-0 with another free-kick which left the Mexican goalkeeper Hugo stranded.
The Mexicans fought back in the second half and Lago Jorge went between the Chinese goalie Zong Lei and the defenders to score a header in the 62th minute, six minutes before Macias Carlos leveled the score.
Xu came close to a free-kick hat-trick after 74 minutes when his third free-kick hit the bar.
Yan Song built China's lead again one minute later by heading home a superb pass from Cao Yang, only to see Beltran Ignacio demolish it with a close-range shot in the 90th minute.
(People's Daily 08/26/2001)
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