The men's team defeated France 5-0 in the first round of the Toms Cup group stage, but from the process point of view, the score did not seem so easy. One single Lu Guangzu and two doubles Liu Yuchen / Ou Xuanyi both won 2-1 with difficulty, which also exposed some problems in terms of overall strength. When commenting on this match, People's Daily Sports bluntly said that the goal of the national men's team this time is to strive to enter the final four. Although Guo Yu won, he was officially looked down upon, and Zhang Jun regretted not using Shi Yuqi?
Compared with the neat lineup of the national women's team, the strength of the men's team this time is much inferior. The absence of Chen Long and Shi Yuqi, two Olympians, greatly reduced the strength of Guoyu. Although Chen Long has returned to the team for training, his current state cannot meet the requirements of the game, so he has not entered the list of this soup cup. Shi Yuqi, on the other hand, was banned for a year by Kuniwa because he was given a match point by Momota Kendou in last year's Soup Cup competition.
Therefore, in this Thomas Cup competition, Lu Guangzu was forced to top a single position, and there was still a gap between his strength and Chen Long and Shi Yuqi. But fortunately, Lu Guangzu's mental outlook was very good, even in the face of difficulties, he would not give up, and defeated Popov in the first round. The second single Zhao Junpeng and the third single Li Shifeng who appeared later also successfully defeated the opponent, but it has to be said that the overall strength of the French team is limited, and the test left for the national feather is still ahead.
People's Daily Sports commented on the performance of the national badminton men's and women's teams on May 10, but when it mentioned the goals of the competition, it said differently. The media pointed out that the goal of the women's team is to defend the Uber Cup, while the goal of the men's team is to strive to reach the final four and hit the Thomas Cup again. Obviously, the official media is not optimistic about the prospects of the national yu men's team, they believe that in the absence of Chen Long and Shi Yuqi, two big generals, it is very difficult to reach the final four.
I don't know if Zhang Jun will regret not using Shi Yuqi when he sees Guo Yu's performance in the first round. But competitive sports compete not only in strength, but also in spirit. Although Lu Guangzu's strength is not top-notch, he dares to fight and take responsibility on the field, and after the game, he bluntly said that guoyu's goal is to win. This spirit of not accepting defeat is probably where Zhang Jun appreciates him. Shi Yuqi's abandonment in the face of Momota Kendou and some inappropriate remarks made after the game disappointed Zhang Jun. For Kuniwa, the mental outlook is a very important thing.
Competitive sports are not necessarily able to win the championship with the strong, and there are many classic cases of the weak winning the strong. There is an old saying in China that the mourning soldiers must win, and Lu Guangzu, who is not optimistic, may be able to create a miracle instead.