Just as the 2024 Asian Cup has entered a brutal knockout process, the teams of 16 countries and regions are fighting desperately for their respective honors, and the intensity can be imagined. However, for the Chinese men's football team, which was originally regarded as one of the potential favorites to win the championship, this competition has gradually drifted away from it. In the precious group stage, the Chinese team performed unsatisfactorily, and even lost the opportunity to continue moving forward early, and could only watch other teams sweat on the stage and perform their own moving stories.
Before the official opening of the Asian Cup, many fans and media were expecting the strength of the Chinese team, believing that they were expected to achieve better results in this tournament. Fans generally believe that good luck was on full display in the national team's group draw, which managed to avoid direct confrontation with strong opponents such as Japan and South Korea, while sharing a group with hosts Qatar, whose strength has dropped significantly, and Lebanon and Tajikistan, who are relatively low in the world rankings. However, the results of the competition were disappointing. After three difficult competitions in the group stage, the Chinese men's football team, who had many ambitions, left the field with 2 points and bid farewell to this event, becoming a laughing stock in the mouths of the audience.
What's worse is that the Chinese men's football team has also fallen off a cliff in the world rankings because of this poor performance. In the past four rounds of international A-level competitions, the Chinese team has failed to taste a single win, losing two related scores - losing a total of 22.39 high-end technical points. At this point, the global ranking of the Chinese team may fall from the original 79th to around 86th, breaking the lowest record since 2013. The hard work of Italian coach Lippi, the famous World Cup Gold Cup winner, seems to have come to naught in an instant.
At the same time, we need to be aware of the performance of other Asian teams. For example, the little-known Bahrain team has jumped ahead of the Chinese team with consecutive victories over Malaysia and Jordan, while Jordan and Syria are also on a steady upward trajectory, and their enthusiasm for the Asian Cup has not diminished in the slightest. If the above powerhouses can successfully pass the knockout stage, then the Chinese men's football team will undoubtedly fall further in the world rankings, and it is likely to fall to the 13th or 14th place in the Asian region.
The World Cup qualifiers that the world is concerned about have a more severe impact on the Chinese men's football team. Should they be lucky enough to make it to the second round of 18, the draw will still be based on the team's combined world rankings. If the current decline continues, the Chinese team is likely to be classified into the fifth bracket, or even the last bracket. In this way, it seems that they can make it to the group stage as a distant dream.
In the face of such a grim practical predicament, Chinese football must deliberate and deeply reflect and formulate a clear new direction. It is particularly important to lay a solid foundation, improve the quality of the youth training system, and invest heavily in the construction of football infrastructure. Only by establishing a sound youth training system and cultivating more young players with outstanding potential can Chinese football once again stand on the stage of top football in Asia and even the world in the future.
In addition, Chinese football also needs to make great efforts to improve and enhance in many aspects such as coach training, technical and tactical research, and international exchange activities. We will further learn from international advanced experience and strengthen the professional skills and strategic thinking of the local coaching team, so as to lay a solid and solid foundation for the long-term development of Chinese football in the future.
At the same time, we should also attach great importance to the shaping and cultivation of players' comprehensive quality and professional ethics. Intensify efforts to promote the ideological and moral education, discipline and career planning guidance of players, help them establish a correct outlook on life and career, and build a solid foundation for the grand blueprint for the rise of Chinese football.
Although the current challenges facing Chinese football are like monstrous waves, as long as everyone has firm faith, makes every effort to promote deepening reform, and works hard in a down-to-earth manner, we firmly believe that Chinese football will be able to get rid of the current downturn and regain its former glory. After all, the endless charm of the world of football lies precisely in its unpredictable nature. In the long years to come, let us look forward to the early day when Chinese football will move towards rejuvenation, and witness this historic moment together!