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At 19:30 on January 17, Beijing time, in the second round of Group A of the 2024 Asian Cup group stage, the national football team faced Lebanon. The high-profile game didn't see much of a fierce spark in the first half, with both sides battling it out in attack and defence, and finally went into the break with a score of 0-0.
At the start of the first half, Lebanon launched a wave of throw-ins, and Khalil Khamis's header allowed the national goal Yan Junling to strike in time to safely collect the ball. Subsequently, Dai Weijun's direct pass from the left created an offensive opportunity for the national football team, and Liu Yang crossed from the bottom, but unfortunately Zhang Yuning failed to form an effective shot. In the 14th minute of the game, Dai Weijun was kicked in the face by his opponent in the scramble, and the referee did not make any indication after considering the VAR opinion, which caused a controversy.
In the next games, the national football team missed many opportunities. Liu Yang crossed from the left, the ball slid past the goal, and the national football team's offensive opportunity passed by. And in the 24th minute, Hassan Matuk's cold arrow was saved by Yan Junling and resolved a crisis. Immediately afterwards, Hussein Zain crossed from the right, and Omar Bougier's header was slightly deflected, and the national football team escaped.
At the beginning of the second half, Dai Weijun's corner kick was crossed, and Zhang Linpeng headed the goal, but it was unfortunately confiscated by Mustafa Matar. In the 49th minute, Xu Xin's long-range shot was too hasty and missed, causing the national football team to miss another opportunity to score. In the 53rd minute, Omar Bourgil's pass allowed Hassan Surur to shoot directly from the top of the penalty area, hitting the crossbar and popping up, and the national football team once again escaped with a fluke.
In the next game, the continuous cooperation of Wu Lei and Wu Xi created opportunities for Xu Xin to kick again, but still failed to break the Lebanese goalkeeper's ten fingers. In the 65th minute, Dai Weijun shot from a small angle on the right side, the Lebanese goalkeeper saved, and Wu Lei's supplementary shot in the face of the empty goal was cleared by the goal line, which made the audience sigh. In the 72nd minute of the game, Mustafa Matar fell to the ground, suspected of delaying time, causing dissatisfaction among the national football players, and finally turned into a clash between the two sides.
In the 82nd minute, Xie Pengfei broke through the cross 1V1 on the right side, and Lin Liangming's header in front of the goal was too outrageous, which made the fans feel a trace of regret. At the end of the game, the national football team 0-0 Lebanon, suffered two consecutive draws, and temporarily accumulated 2 points to rank second in the group.
In this scorching duel, Wu Lei's empty shot was cleared by the goal line, and Lin Liangming's mistake became the most embarrassing moment of the game. The outcome may not have been as exciting as one might have hoped, but the experience and the hard work of the players were the truest portrayal of the game. The national football team needs to sum up experience, adjust the state, and meet the next challenges.
The national football team showed perseverance and fighting spirit in this game full of twists and turns, and every player put in great efforts on the field. In the first half, although the attack was blocked by Lebanon many times, Yan Junling's brave save, Dai Weijun's accurate pass, and the unremitting running of players such as Liu Yang and Wang Shangyuan formed a solid front for the national football team.
However, the lack of performance on the offensive end was also evident. Zhang Yuning, Wu Lei and other strikers struggled to make achievements in front of Lebanon's solid defensive line, and many good chances came to naught, making the first half of the game into a stalemate. Some controversial decisions by the referee made the national football team dissatisfied for a while, but the team successfully overcame these pressures and maintained a stable game momentum.
In the second half, the national football team still performed well on the offensive end. Dai Weijun's corner kick cross threatened the Lebanese goal many times, and the precise headers of Zhang Linpeng, Xu Xin and other players made the opponent scramble. The tacit cooperation between Wu Lei and Wu Xi almost broke through several times, but the brave performance of the Lebanese goalkeeper made the national football team unable to establish a lead.
In the 65th minute, Dai Weijun shot hard from a small angle, the Lebanese goalkeeper got rid of it, and Wu Lei's supplementary shot in the face of the empty goal was cleared by the goal line. This moment plunged the audience into silence, and Wu Lei on the court couldn't hide the loss in his heart. Lin Liangming's chance to kill came in the 82nd minute, Xie Pengfei broke through on the right and crossed, but Lin Liangming's header was off target. This mistake caused the national football team to lose the last chance to kill, and the players on the field all regretted that they could not get three points.
After the game, the national football team 0-0 Lebanon, two consecutive draws allowed the team to temporarily rank second in the group. Although they failed to win this game, the unity and fighting spirit shown by the national football team are worthy of recognition. The coaching staff needs to carefully analyze the problems in the game, further adjust the tactics and player configuration, and be fully prepared for the next game.
This game may have left regrets, but at the same time, it also ignited a stronger fighting spirit of the national football team. The team needs to gather more tacit understanding in the next games, improve the offensive efficiency, and strive for a better record. The future of the national football team is full of expectations, and the fans will continue to give them unwavering support and look forward to more exciting moments.