Pictures: Australia and China Under-19 Women in Soccer Brawl

[digg=http://digg.com/soccer/Pictures_Australia_and_China_Under_19_Women_in_Soccer_Brawl]An fiercely contested AFC Women’s Under-19 Championship soccer match between hosts China and Australia ended with a mass brawl earlier today.

According to sportal.com.au:

…following the final whistle, an Australia player fell to the ground while remonstrating with the Chinese, prompting captain Tameka Butt to charge across the pitch and grab the perceived offender.

That sparked a mass brawl as both sets of players and backroom staff charged onto the pitch, with punches thrown.

Once order was restored, several plastic water bottles were thrown from the crowd in the direction of the Australian team – whose ages range from 15 to 19 – as they made their way down the tunnel with local police imploring fans to stop the behaviour.

China won the match 2-1 despite a late Australian appeal for a penalty.

Match Details
China PR 2 (Lou Jiahui 10’/42′)
Australia 1 (Kyah Simon 75′)
Hankou Sports Culture Stadium, Wuhan, China

Australia : Casey DUMONT (gk), Karina ROWETH, Rebecca KITING, Jessica SEAMAN, Elise KELLOND-KNIGHT, Teresa POLIAS, Marianna TABAIN (Nicola BOLGER 65′), Teigen ALLEN (Samantha KERR 53′), Tameka BUTT (c), Kyah SIMON, Angela FIMMANO (Ashleigh SYKES 45+2′)

Yellow cards: Angela Fimmano 41′, Ashleigh Sykes 63′
Red cards: Jessica Seaman 95′

Click on any of the images below to see larger versions of them.