The 2024 year of the national football team starts with another defeat.
In the FIFA A-level friendly match on the evening of the 1st, the Chinese men's football team was finally reversed by Hong Kong, China 2:1 when it scored one goal. With the Asian Cup just around the corner, the state of the Chinese men's football team is worrying.
In order to prepare for the Asian Cup, which will start in mid-January, the Chinese men's football team assembled on December 18 last year and is currently training in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. In the previous two warm-up matches, the national football team defeated the UAE third-tier team and then lost 0:2 to Oman.
Data map: Chinese men's football team. Image source: Chinese football team Weibo
Before this game, Wu Shaocong, the only foreign player on the national football team's roster, had gone to Abu Dhabi to join the team. He is currently playing in the Turkish League, and he has also entered the starting lineup, forming a back four with Xu Haofeng, Jiang Guangtai and Li Lei.
In other positions, Wu Xi and Wang Shangyuan partner in the back, Liu Binbin and the State Council on the wings, Wu Lei and Tan Long serve as the strikers, and the goalkeeper is Liu Dianzuo.
According to Hong Kong media reports, at the beginning of the game, the Chinese men's football team took the lead in the 9th minute, and after Wu Lei's shot was blocked by the goalkeeper, Tan Long followed up and scored to help the team lead 1:0.
However, after the rematch, the situation on the field changed abruptly. The Hong Kong, China team scored two goals in a row by Poon Pui-hin to complete the comeback in a short period of time. In the process of the Hong Kong team's momentum, Wang Shangyuan received a red card and was sent off.
The data picture shows the national football coach Jankovic. Image source: Chinese football team Weibo
In the face of the unfavorable situation, the Chinese men's football team failed to find a solution to the problem, but a member of the coaching staff and Wu Shaocong were both shown red cards and sent off, and the scene was even more irreparable.
In the end, the national football team lost 1:2, and the new year began with an unexpected defeat. Not only that, the veteran Wu Xi also retired injured in this game, and the specific injury is still unclear.
In the current world rankings, Hong Kong, China is ranked 150th, a certain gap compared with the Chinese men's football team, which is ranked 79th, but the result of the game was unexpected. According to media statistics, this is the first time in 39 years that the Chinese men's football team has lost to the Hong Kong, China team.
According to the schedule, the Chinese men's football team will face Tajikistan, the first opponent of the Asian Cup group stage, on January 13, followed by Lebanon on January 17, and the host Qatar on January 22.
Image source: Screenshot of the AFC website
After losing to the Oman team, the coach of the Chinese men's football team, Jankovic, once said that the national football team has just finished the large-scale training cycle, and everyone's physical fitness is not in the best condition. He stressed that after entering the preparation stage of technical and tactical drills, the team will solve problems from two aspects, adjust the state of the players, and make improvements at the tactical level.
Whatever the reason, judging from the results of the match against Hong Kong, the Chinese men's football team seems to be far from on the right track, and the team needs to adjust and improve a lot.
The Asian Cup is just around the corner, and there is not much time left for the Chinese men's football team.
Column Editor-in-Chief: Zhao Hanlu Text Editor: Cheng Pei Title Image Source: Shangguan Title Picture Editor: Cao Liyuan
Source: Author: China-Singapore Sports