Wen | Tan Liwen
Sports big business reporter
（0-8）+（0-5）+（0-5）+（0-7）=（0-25）。 0 wins, 0 goals scored, 25 goals conceded, this is the record card handed over by Guangzhou and Shandong Taishan in the first two rounds of the AFC Champions League group stage. The AFC Champions League journey of the two Chinese Super League teams, what a tragic word!
In particular, it is worth mentioning that Guangzhou's 0-8 defeat to Kawasaki Striker created the biggest loss in the history of the Chinese team in the AFC Champions League.
Guangzhou and Shandong Taishan ranked at the bottom of the group
Affected by the epidemic, among the four Chinese Super League teams participating in the AFC Champions League this year, Changchun Yatai and Shanghai Haigang chose to withdraw, while Guangzhou and Shandong Taishan had to send a second or even third team composed of young players to play.
But on the other hand, the fact that the big score loss and the one-sided scene tell the outside world that the AFC Champions League tragedy reflects more of the powerlessness of Chinese football.
The Youth Army expedition to the AFC Champions League ≠ train young players
It is true that the Chinese Super League team has not been able to dispatch the main expedition due to the epidemic, and the outside world can understand the weight relationship between the team balance between the Chinese Super League and the AFC Champions League for the team itself.
But it is undeniable that the contradiction of the AFC Champions League participation is in front of us, sending young players to play or choosing to retire? The former, Guangzhou team also gave the answer last season.
In last season's AFC Champions League, Guangzhou also sent the youth army to play, 6 group games they all lost, scored 1 goal and conceded 17 goals to end the AFC Champions League trip, that season's six consecutive defeats in the AFC Champions League also created the worst record of the Chinese Super League team AFC Champions League. It is worth mentioning that the reason why Guangzhou team lost 13 goals in two games in the AFC Champions League this season is because the Guangzhou Youth Army standing on the AFC Champions League is the echelon of the echelon, and most of the players of the Guangzhou "genuine" youth army must stay in the Chinese Super League to compete in the new season.
Judging from the game scene and technical and tactical cooperation, Shandong Taishan is more "stable" than the Guangzhou team. The reason is that the Guangzhou team is a team that the remaining people to piece together after retaining the players in the Chinese Super League, and there is no integrity to speak of. The Shandong Taishan team has a more perfect youth training system, which can really play a role in training young players.
Li Xuan, director of the "Football" newspaper, said on social media, "Guangzhou team withdrawal is actually the most reasonable choice, but Xu Jiayin will not withdraw, insist on participating, he has his appeal, you can suspect that he is not to train the team, or even to mess up, but since he has the qualifications, it is his right to participate." ”
Last season, Guangzhou also played in the AFC Champions League with the youth team
As for the latter, Changchun Yatai also gave the answer. Changchun Yatai was originally scheduled to play a play-off at home on March 15, but the current epidemic prevention policy in China is obviously impossible to hold an international sports event at home. The overseas neutrality is held, resulting in changchun Yatai first team returning to China need to go through a 20+ days quarantine period, which is obviously an unrealistic choice to participate in the new season of the Chinese Super League. There is no point in sending echelons to participate in the play-offs, so under comprehensive consideration, Changchun Yatai chose to withdraw from this season's AFC Champions League.
Guangzhou and Shandong Taishan still sent youth troops to east Asia despite all difficulties, which to a certain extent deserves respect for the choice of the two clubs. However, the youth army brought a chain reaction after playing in the AFC Champions League, Guan Haojin was expelled from the Guangzhou team after being red, and the youth army lost miserably by consecutive big scores, so that Chinese football was deeply involved in the whirlpool of public opinion.
Whether it is from the scene or the result, the youth army expedition to the AFC Champions League ≠ train young players. On the contrary, the impact of the AFC Champions League tragedy is more to destroy the self-confidence of young players, which is undoubtedly equivalent to the growth of seedlings and the desire to cover up the loss of Chinese football.
The most intuitive example is that in the two matches on the evening of April 15, in just 3 hours, Shandong Taishan goalkeeper Cao Zheng and Guangzhou goalkeeper He Lipan made bizarre mistakes. Such a super low mistake is caused by the nervousness and excessive tension of the players on the field. The super low mistakes on the AFC Champions League field not only made Chinese fans feel angry, but also laughed at by the world.
Bizarre mistakes in the AFC Champions League
Chu Liang, a famous Chinese football club, said in an interview with the "Football" newspaper, "Suddenly letting a person who has no experience in adult teams to participate in this kind of high-level competition is undoubtedly to send weapons." Even if you use the banner and purpose of the training team, in fact, this so-called exercise is worthless, but it hurts the players even more. ”
The AFC Champions League massacre or "seven" defeats were lost
In the face of the AFC Champions League massacre, it is not only Chinese fans and Chinese football that have been injured. In the eyes of sports big business, the AFC Champions League tragedy may lead to the "seven" defeats, including fans, players, teams, The Chinese Super League, the AFC Champions League, the AFC and sponsors, are all "victims".
First, the moths of the Chinese Super League Youth Army put out fires, whether at the level of exercise or competition, it is meaningless. It's more about making Chinese fans angry. There are even many fans who joke that such a big game is too unfair to face West Asian teams, because the AFC Champions League top scorer list will definitely be won by the opponents of the group stage of the Chinese Super League team.
Thinking more deeply, the fans' ridicule is because Chinese football has made insensitive Chinese fans feel strange, and now it is more angry and sad.
Second, judging from the current results and public opinion, the player should be the role that has been hurt the most. We have to face it squarely, at the level of young Chinese players, they simply cannot resist the attack of the powerful opponents of the AFC Champions League. Under the premise that even the Chinese Super League and the Chinese First Division have not played, going to the highest level of competition in Asia in the name of training young players will undoubtedly kill the future of Chinese football again.
Judging from the panic and nervousness displayed by the youth army on the field, there was only a shadow left in their hearts, and they could not gain anything of value except psychological trauma. After the dismissal of Guan Haojin's unsportsmanlike red card action after the first game of the Guangzhou team, the performance of the Guangzhou team's youth army in the second game was even more fearful and did not dare to make moves.
Kwan was expelled for red card action
Because they may not know which big move may be punished with a red card, which will lead to expulsion. In the name of training young players, it is necessary to get "expulsion letters", and it is difficult to say "career".
Third, the team. The AFC Champions League tragedy will undoubtedly go down in history for Guangzhou and Shandong Taishan, especially the former. From the peak to the bottom, from reaching the top of Asia twice in three years, to sending a youth army to compete in the AFC Champions League for two consecutive years, ten years have allowed Chinese football to squeeze out the bubble, and also taken away the vigor and confidence of this honorary division.
As a two-time AFC Champions League winner, Guangzhou team appeared on the AFC Champions League with such an image, which can't help but be lamented. From another point of view, Guangzhou sent a youth team to compete in this season's AFC Champions League or there is a special commemorative significance, because after the opening of the new season of the Chinese Super League, the Guangzhou team with Evergrande Football School as the team has a sharp decline in competitiveness, which is equivalent to losing the strength to compete for the AFC Champions League. This season may be Guangzhou's farewell to the historical journey of the AFC Champions League.
The Guangzhou team has stood at the top of Asia twice in three years
Fourth, the AFC Champions League tragedy has caused the Chinese Super League, which has already made its reputation fall to the bottom, suffer another heavy blow. The Chinese Super League AFC Champions League qualification has been further reduced, and this season the Chinese Super League is now implementing a 3+1 quota policy, but in 2023, the 2+2 policy will be implemented.
If the results of the Chinese Super League teams do not improve after that, the number of participants will become 2+1 or even 1+2, 1+1, which will greatly weaken the competitiveness of the Chinese Super League and make the image of the Chinese Super League plummet.
Fifth, the tragedy has greatly reduced the brand image of the AFC Champions League. As the highest level of Asian club football, there have been many disparities in the field, and such behavior is not beneficial to the development of the AFC Champions League.
Sixth, the image of the AFC has also been affected. According to previous media reports, the AFC believes that the Chinese Super League team sending a youth army to play is contrary to the original intention of the AFC to promote and improve the AFC Champions League. The AFC clearly requires participating teams to compete with the strongest squad, thus ensuring the high standard of the AFC Champions League as the first brand club event promoted by the AFC.
There have been many disparities in the field
According to foreign media reports, the AFC was disappointed that Chinese Super League clubs had selected young players or "second teams" to participate in the AFC Champions League for two consecutive seasons, and severely criticized such practices.
Despite the AFC's verbal objections, no real action was taken. As of press time, the AFC has not made an official statement or action on the AFC Champions League massacre. In other words, the AFC continues to acquiesce and tolerate the continuation of the tragedy.
Seventh, the sponsor was also injured in the face of the AFC Champions League massacre. Admittedly, sponsors wanted to enjoy the AFC Champions League's top sports marketing resources, using the platform of Asia's top events for brand promotion. But I didn't expect that due to the fiasco of the two teams, it caused a whirlpool of public opinion, which in turn played a counterproductive role.
According to the Football newspaper, three of the four Chinese Super League teams that initially qualified for the AFC Champions League this season applied to the Chinese Football Association not to participate in the AFC Champions League. Unfortunately, given the Chinese market, sponsors are reluctant to let Chinese teams abandon the AFC Champions League. So from a consequential point of view, the sponsor made a bad decision.
Instead of feeling sorry for yourself, embrace reality
Judging from the current public opinion situation, the media are unanimous that the fiasco of the Chinese Super League team has not only caused a serious negative impact on Chinese football, but also greatly reduced the brand image of the AFC Champions League. In the face of the AFC Champions League massacre, no one is a winner.
In the course of Guangzhou's 8-0 defeat to Kawasaki Striker, West Asian journalist Uri Levy said on social media that the AFC should kick all Chinese teams out of this AFC Champions League, one team did this, other teams followed suit, big clubs like Guangzhou let the U21 echelon play, they conceded 9 goals in 1.5 games, which is very bad for Asian football, not cool at all.
People's Daily Sports said that under the epidemic, two Chinese Super League clubs did not participate in the AFC Champions League, and the other two sent young players to participate, which was a last resort. These young players have not yet experienced in the domestic league and have suddenly reached the AFC Champions League. In such arrangements in special cases, there should also be some understanding and tolerance. On the other hand, for these players, even if they suffer consecutive big score losses, even if they have to bear great pressure, there is no reason to give up and slack off in international competitions.
Young players have not yet been tested in the domestic league
"Football Newspaper" commented that of course, we can not deceive ourselves into advocating that the original intention of the youth army to play the AFC Champions League was to train young players. But for the young men who have been "pushed" onto the stage of the AFC Champions League, after recognizing the truth, they still go all out, which is also the greatest responsibility for themselves, rather than self-hatred, it is better to embrace reality and be their own heroes.
"Sino-Singapore Sports" said that from youth training to professional teams, these young players who have gone out to compete are extremely lacking in competition experience whether in the continental arena or in domestic competitions. With such experience reserves and strength to compete in Asia's top competitions, it is destined to be vulnerable. And this kind of game experience is probably more harmful than beneficial to the growth of the players who go out. In the face of the glare of the scoreboard, don't rush to scold, this is a result that everyone is unwilling to accept, but seems to have to accept. I just hope that the teams that go to the AFC Champions League can return home smoothly. Young players are able to adjust their mindset and maintain the courage to keep moving forward.
The powerlessness of Chinese football
When tearing off the fig leaf of training young players, thinking deeper, behind the AFC Champions League tragedy is more of a reflection of the powerlessness of Chinese football. This feeling of powerlessness will constantly dampen a person's enthusiasm, and the attitude towards everything will become pessimistic and negative.
Today's Chinese football is exactly like this. The Chinese Super League is divided, a large number of foreign aid flees, unpaid wages emerge in an endless stream, talent gaps and green and yellow are not connected... Chinese football, which has experienced multiple blows, is gradually entangled in this sense of powerlessness, as if it cannot breathe.
What is even more heinous is that at present, it seems that this sense of powerlessness is difficult to get rid of, and there is no end in sight, and it seems that the sense of powerlessness is closely bound to Chinese football. In the face of powerlessness, Chinese football has lost its strength and action and has become more and more exhausted.
Returning to reality, I hope that Chinese football will get rid of this sense of powerlessness as soon as possible. The two youth teams of the Chinese Super League have been "pushed" onto the AFC Champions League. Whether it's training players or moths to put out fire, for them the rest of the game can only grit their teeth and go all out.
"May the king know the shame and then be brave" is the seven-character evaluation of the AFC Champions League tragedy by the People's Sports, and it is also the seven-word hope of the fans for Chinese football.
Note: The images used in this article are from the Internet