Reporter Jin Mistaken reported that "I know almost nothing, I only know that Li Xiaopeng has coached the Wuhan team." At the pre-match press conference on January 26, Japanese coach Morihoichi looked "helpless", "I don't know much about the characteristics of the Chinese team now, and I don't know how much has changed after the change of coach." ”
The match on the 27th was Li Xiaopeng's debut in the position of national football coach, and it was also his "anti-Japanese" debut - before, whether it was the player era or the coaching career, he had not yet met with the Japanese men's national football team.
It is hard to imagine that 69 times he has played for the national football team, 39 of which are A-class matches, and Li Xiaopeng has not touched the Japanese team once.
On November 25, 2003, Ali Han announced the list of the East Asian Cup (then known as the East Asian Final Four), with Shandong Zhou Haibin and Liu Jindong on the list, and Li Xiaopeng on the list.
Li Xiaopeng is depressed, if it were not for SARS, the game would not have been postponed, and when the initial roster was announced in May, there was him.
In that year's East Asian Final Four, the first game of the national football team was against Japan, losing 0-2.
The following year's local Asian Cup, Li Xiaopeng returned to the battle sequence, although the nose bridge was fractured before the start, but Ali Han still took him, did not expect to play Bahrain in the first game of the group stage, in the 29th minute, Li Xiaopeng injured his left ankle again, and the medial ligament was "damaged".
At that time, Alihan brought in a team doctor from Belgium, Stini, and it was rumored that he interned at a dutch friend's clinic and came to China to increase his experience. After checking the injury, he told Li Xiaopeng that "the game behind the Asian Cup may not be played."
Li Xiaopeng was very uncomfortable, but unexpectedly, he recovered quickly, and after a week, he wanted to touch the ball, but was rejected by Stini, in his opinion, Li Xiaopeng's injury was still "very serious".
Ali Han trusted Stini, Li Xiaopeng could only continue to run in circles, and later, the then team leader Zhu Heyuan learned of this matter, was very angry, and wanted to fire Stinny, fortunately Ali Han Li bao stayed.
It turns out that Li Xiaopeng can indeed play, and he can play in the last game of the group stage against Qatar, but because Shao Jiayi is in excellent form, Ali Han did not give Li Xiaopeng a chance, even in the quarter-final against Iraq.
In the 2001 Top Ten, Li Ming "completed" Li Xiaopeng; in the 04 Asian Cup, Li Xiaopeng "completed" Shao Jiayi.
In the semi-finals, the opponent of the national football team is Iran, who is strong and able to run, considering Shao Jiayi's physical fitness, Ali Han decided to give Li Xiaopeng a chance - Shao Jiayi started and went all out at the beginning, and when he was physically weak, he went on Li Xiaopeng.
"As long as I can win the game, even if I am a substitute, there is nothing. If I was really allowed to play, I'm sure I wouldn't disappoint everyone, I'm well prepared, I'm full of energy to play Iran. Li Xiaopeng said at the time.
In that game, it was not until the 101st minute of extra time that Li Xiaopeng was given the opportunity to play, but it was not Shao Jiayi who was replaced, but Zheng Bin. In the final penalty shootout, Li Xiaopeng made his third appearance, before him, Zhao Junzhe's penalty hit the upright.
Li Xiaopeng scored on the penalty and was very stable, but then he said that he had never been so nervous, "When I went to the penalty spot, my hair stood up, and I felt how the goal was so small!" My legs are a little soft. "After that game, Li Xiaopeng never took a penalty again.
In the 5th round, Liu Yunfei saved Hammadi's penalty and the national football team reached the final.
The opponent in the final was the Japanese team, and Li Xiaopeng wanted to play, "The game has reached this point, of course, it is against the championship." But he also knows that the initiative is not in his own hands, "look at the head coach's arrangement, let me go up to try to contribute to the country, don't let me go up, I will applaud below." ”
In the end, Li Xiaopeng watched the Japanese team win the championship on the bench with Yuji Nakazawa's handball, and all he could do was sigh.
In the 2005 East Asian Cup, Li Xiaopeng's fate was similar to that of 2003, and he entered the 35-man roster, but in the final 22-man list, he was once again unnamed.
In that East Asian Cup, the national football team won the championship, playing Japan for the second time, and the result was 2-2.
After becoming a coach, Li Xiaopeng has met Japanese teams in Shandong and the women's national team, but it will be the first time to meet the Japanese men's national football team on January 27.
Although Li Xiaopeng and the coaching staff have repeatedly warned the players that they must take seriously the remaining 4 round of 12 matches, he still does not want the players to carry the burden, "I hope they don't have too much burden and sink their hearts." Captain Wu Xi said he would "lighten up."
Li Xiaopeng hopes that the players will focus on themselves and "play their own characteristics".
For the Japanese team, Li Xiaopeng already "understands" very well, and Pep in his assistant coaching team has been studying the video of the Japanese team's previous 6 round of 12 matches, hoping to find the weakness of the opponent, Li Xiaopeng and the international footballers have seen the Video Clips and Analysis of Japan.
Mori Baoyi does not know Li Xiaopeng, in the eyes of Japanese media, this is an "advantage" of the national football team, but Li Xiaopeng said that the most important thing in football is the personal strength of the players and the overall strength of the team, "As a head coach, tomorrow I will do my best to instill the understanding of football in my players over the years." As for the result, "I think it depends on the impromptu performance of the players on both sides." ”
At the press conference, the Japanese reporter "reminded" Li Xiaopeng that if he lost against Japan, let alone the top two, the third is also very difficult, "then your tactics are running for three points or ..." To this, Li Xiaopeng's answer is "All tactics are formulated around the hope of retaining the promotion."