In the ever-changing modern society, football, as a highly attractive and influential sporting event, has naturally become the focus of people's attention. However, at the recently concluded 2023 Asian Cup, the Chinese men's football team once again "lost two games" and suffered an embarrassing situation of being out, which undoubtedly disappointed countless fans and viewers who care about the development of national football. The glory of the past is gone, and the current predicament makes people wonder - is the exit of the national football team just a team's failure, or is it a reflection of a deeper problem?
The strength of the Chinese men's football team seems to have been unable to jump out of the quagmire of the slump, even among the 24 participating teams, the 18th place is undoubtedly a ruthless test of the team's strength. What is even more regrettable is that such a performance not only makes fans feel heartache, but also triggers criticism from famous Fan Zhiyi and others, and the "fifth gear in Asia" has become a mockery in their mouths, which has also pushed the plight of the national football team into the spotlight.
Looking back on the past ten years, the replacement of the national football team and the retirement of players are eroding the strength of the national football team little by little, and this may only be the surface of the problem, and the bigger problem may be that the entire Asian football sector has undergone earth-shaking changes in the changing situation. When the national football team is still looking for a way out in confusion, the surrounding football pattern has already undergone tremendous changes.
Asian football, once an inconspicuous corner, is now quite interesting. With the rise of football in the Middle East, the rise of teams such as Qatar and Saudi Arabia has changed the balance of power in Asian football. And all this may have happened quietly before we knew it.
In the past few years, the Chinese Super League, with its world-class clubs, has not been able to produce a strong enough national team, which has become a problem in the domestic football world. In international competitions, the Chinese men's football team has been in the process of groping and exploring, and it seems that it has never been able to find a way to succeed. While traditional football powerhouses such as South Korea and Japan are gradually declining, the surrounding Middle Eastern teams have emerged and even become a new force in the Asian Cup, which makes people have to re-examine the new pattern of the development of Asian football.
First, the re-emergence of traditional Asian powerhouses, such as Japan and South Korea, has been able to compete with world-class teams by relying on their own football industry systems and youth training mechanisms; Australia has also returned to the World Cup stage with the strong support of the Football Association relying on intercontinental geopolitical factors. The rise of these strong teams has directly squeezed out the limited quota in Asia and brought more pressure on the Chinese team to advance to the World Cup.
Second, Asia's "second-tier" teams are also rising rapidly, such as Vietnam, which was regarded as the "hunting" target of the national football team in the past, and now it can draw with us; West Asian teams such as Iraq and Syria are even more "tough" with their high average height and physical fitness, and their tactics are also improving; Thailand and the Philippines in Southeast Asia rely on the individual skills of young players to continue to improve. The rise of these teams has made the entire Asian region no longer have obvious differences between strength and weakness, and every game is like a "decisive battle" for the national football team.
Third, in this Asian Cup, obviously weak teams such as Hong Kong, China and Kyrgyzstan have also found breakthroughs in their respective small areas. Hong Kong, China, managed to defend 0-0 with tenacious defense and physical confrontation; Kyrgyzstan took advantage of the home momentum to ambush Oman and finally bring the first victory to the fans. These developments indicate that the gap within the Asian region is narrowing, and there are no longer absolutely weak teams, which is a threat to the future schedule of the national football team.
To sum up, it can be clearly seen that the Chinese men's football team, which has lost one after another in the Asian Cup, does not represent simple tactical, personnel or psychological problems, but a seismic subversion of the entire AFC team. So, in this context, how should we view and respond to the current predicament faced by the Chinese men's football team?
First of all, we must have a correct understanding of the current competitive level of the national football team. As Fan Zhiyi and other experts have said, the current Chinese men's football team, no matter from any point of view, is difficult to compare with the top teams in Asia. Whether it is the tactical level, or the psychological quality and team cohesion, we have fallen behind significantly. So in the current Asian environment, Tier 5 is probably where we should be.
Second, in order to fundamentally solve the problem, it is necessary to face up to the current situation of domestic professional leagues. The reason why teams such as Japan, South Korea and West Asia can continue to improve by leaps and bounds is that the high standard and benign operation of the league provide them with a steady stream of talent and resource support. On the other hand, our professional league, whether in terms of business model, or at the level of youth training and tactics, has many shortcomings. If the quality of the league cannot be fundamentally improved, it is difficult to expect the national football team to make great progress.
Finally, reform must start within the Football Association. At present, the internal system and mechanism of the Chinese Football Association have seriously restricted the development of China's football industry, and to a certain extent, it has also caused the poor performance of the national football team. We must establish a management system of the Football Association with clear rights and responsibilities and efficient operation, and then use it to drive the reform of the entire Chinese football. Otherwise, any tactical and personnel adjustments will be a palliative rather than a cure.
To sum up, the current predicament faced by the Chinese men's football team is not explained by individual reasons, but a comprehensive reflection of the changes in the entire Asian football sector and the deep-seated problems of domestic football itself. To truly solve these problems, we must start by recognizing the current situation and positioning, and then promote the reform of the league and the Football Association. This will require a long-term gradual process, but the first step must be taken now. I believe that through the joint efforts of all football workers, we will definitely bring Chinese football back to its former glory!