2 days ago, losing 1-5 to the ECNL-U16 men's soccer team, the Chinese women's soccer team suffered the first defeat in the United States, which also made fans who did not know much about the women's soccer team a little suspicious of the strength and current state of the Chinese women's soccer team. However, only 2 days later, the Chinese women's football team, which was the main force, won again with a 4-0 clean and crisp victory, despite the average strength of the opponent. It is worth mentioning that in this game, Shui Qingxia put up a set of 3-guard formations, obviously trying more tactical play.
At the end of last month, the Chinese women's football team participated in the East Asian Cup in Japan. After the event, the Chinese women's football team immediately turned around and rushed to the United States for a month-long training session. In the four warm-up matches that ended before, the Chinese women's football team defeated the San Francisco Nighthawks 6-2, drew 1-1 with the Northern California U15 men's team, beat the California Storm 5-1, and lost to the ECNL-U16 men's team 1-5.
It is worth noting that because it is too close to the next game, so in the match with the ECNL men's football team, the Chinese women's football team only sent a substitute lineup to play, coupled with the natural gap in physical fitness with the male footballers, it can be said that it is not surprising to suffer a defeat, and this game does not have much reference, purely to warm up the substitute players.
On the 10th local time, the Chinese women's football team ushered in another opponent - NCAA University of San Francisco. In this battle, the Chinese women's football team sacrificed the main lineup. As can be seen from the starting lineup, Shui Qingxia put up a 3-back formation in this game, including Wu Haiyan, Wang Xiaoxue and Li Jiayue partnering 3 central defenders, midfielders Zhang Rui, Wu Chengshu, Zhao Yujie, Gao Chen, Lou Jiahui, and Tu Linli and Wang Shanshan in the front. Obviously, considering the poor defensive quality of the team in the previous games and the goal conceded on the field, Shui Qingxia hopes that changing to a 3-back can improve the defense.
In the first half of the game, veteran Zhang Rui shot from outside the penalty area to take the lead for the Chinese team, and then Wang Xiaoxue took advantage of the corner kick opportunity to poke the goal in front of the goal to extend the score to 2-0. In the second half of the game, Zhao Yujie grabbed a point in the penalty area to break the goal, and Xiao Yuyi's long-range shot broke the score for the Chinese team to lock the score at 4-0.
I don't know if the result of the warm-up will satisfy Shui Qingxia, at least the Chinese team achieved the first 0 goals conceded since the training in this game. In addition to changing the lineup to improve the defense, the Chinese women's football team has also gained eye-catching newcomers at the offensive organizational end. Zhao Yujie, who started in the last 2 warm-up matches, has scored 2 consecutive goals and showed a good state, and she has also become the best player in the game with her outstanding performance. If the former national youth core can fully show the progress made in the previous four years at the American university, next year is likely to become the secret weapon of the Chinese women's football team in the World Cup. We'll see.