Cambodian women's football team withdraws! The rules of the Asian Games have changed, and the Chinese women's football team has met the North Korean team in advance?

Affected by the withdrawal of the Cambodian women's football team, the number of teams participating in the women's football competition at the Hangzhou Asian Games has been reduced from 17 to 16 teams, of which only two teams remain in Group C of the Cambodian women's football team, North Korea and Singapore. To this end, the tournament organizers recently adjusted the competition regulations, and the new rules show that only the top team in Group C will be able to make it to the knockout rounds. If the Chinese women's football team locks in the top spot in Group A, they will meet the second place in Group B or the top place in Group C in the 1/4 final, which means that they may face their archrivals North Korea in the round of the tournament, and the difficulty of qualifying is sharply improved.

The draw ceremony for the group stage of the Hangzhou Asian Games football tournament was held on July 27. A total of 17 teams signed up for the women's competition. However, just over a week ago, the tournament organizing committee confirmed through official channels that the Cambodian women's football team withdrew from the tournament, leaving a total of only 16 teams participating. After Cambodia withdrew, only two teams remained in Group C: North Korea and Singapore. Considering the current close start time of the competition, the organizing committee has not regrouped, but in order to ensure fair play, they have still made some adjustments to the rules for qualifying for the group stage. In Group C, North Korea will play Singapore over two legs, with the winner qualifying for the knockout rounds.

Before the Cambodian women's football team withdraws, if the Chinese women's football team finishes in Group A, it will meet the second place team in Group B or C or Group D in the quarterfinal, that is, the Chinese women's football team may meet Thailand or Chinese Taipei in Group B in the quarterfinal, and may also meet Singapore in Group C (in the same group as North Korea) or Vietnam in Group D (in the same group as Japan). Relatively speaking, it is not difficult to pass this level.

However, the adjusted rules show that if the Chinese women's football team finishes first in Group A, it will meet the second place in Group B or the first place in Group C in the quarterfinal. This means that the Chinese women's football team may meet the North Korean women's football team in advance, and the difficulty of qualifying will of course increase a lot. Of course, no matter how the final group and competition rules are adjusted, the goal of winning gold in the Chinese women's football team this Asian Games will not change.

Text/Beiqing Sports Xiao Zhao