Inspired striker Gao Lin scored one and made another when China thrashed Panama 4-1 to keep their winning record in their final group match of the FIFA World Youth Championship on Friday.   
   
China, already qualified for the knock-out stage when they beat Ukraine 3-2 in their second group match, fielded a 4-5-1 line-up with only Gao Lin up front as his striking partner Zhu Ting was suspended for this game.
   
China did not wait too long for their first goal and in the 5th minute, midfielder Zhou Haibin, also a member with China's senior national team, drew the first blood when he latched onto a deft pass by teammate Lu Lin from the left and drove it past Panama goalkeeper Ricardo Buitrago with great composure.
  
Panama, who are physically inferior to China, though often fell victim to China's offside trap, managed to penetrate China's defence several times with short passes but could not score before inspired China's goalkeeper Yang Cheng.
  
In the 36th minute, they pulled it even through central defender Jose Venegas who headed in a precise corner from Ricardo Buitrago.

Three minutes later, China regained their lead thanks to Gao who headed it home after meeting a pinpoint cross from midfielder Wang Hongliang.
  
Gao was very happy with his own performance. "To score a goal for me is only a question of time I think, I wanted to pay the coach's trust in me back with this goal," he said.
  
The striker sent a warning to China's next opponents by promising to score more goals. "My form is becoming better and better, and I am sure I will be able to bag more goals," he added.

Five minutes after the restart, Gao, who was hailed as a hero by head coach Eckhard Krautzun for his outstanding performance in the match with Ukraine, dished out a lethal cross from the left after beating two Panama defenders. Buitrago tried to parry the ball and it bounced comfortably to China's racing-up midfielder Hao Junmin who poked the ball past fallen, helpless Buitrago.
  
In the 61st minute a defensive lapse by China left Edwin Aguilar unmarked inside the area but he shot it directly to Yang.

Two minutes later China also squandered a good chance when Lu saw his solo run thwarted by Buitrago.

But Buitrago found it impossible to stop the midfielder in the 77th minute when Lu curled a world-class direct kick into the right top corner. 
  
Even Eckhard Krautzun, head coach of China was surprised by his side's seemingly unstoppable attack.
  
"I was a little bit worried about our attack before the tournament, but I think now if you can always score three or four goals every game, it is enough to win," the 63-year-old German coach said.
  
"The win brings a lot of confidence to my players and I am also confident that we can go further," he said.

(Xinhua News Agency June 18, 2005)