At 21 o'clock on April 19, Beijing time, the Chinese national U23 men's football team will face South Korea in the second round of the group stage of the Asian Cup. After losing 0-1 to Japan in the first game of the group, if the national Olympic team loses again, it will bid farewell to this Asian Cup in advance. In the face of a strong South Korean team, can the National Olympic Games turn the tide and rekindle hope?
The disparity in strength is obvious
Defeating South Korea is an almost impossible task for the Olympic team. Judging from the comparison of player strength, there is a huge gap between the two sides. South Korea has a number of popular stars such as Li Jia and Li B who play in Europe's top leagues, and the overall strength is strong, which is undoubtedly the top level in Asia. In contrast, most of the national Olympic Games are composed of Chinese Super League players, lack of top talents, lack of international experience, and are far inferior to opponents in terms of individual ability and team running-in.
Another downside is the ability gap in the coaching staff. The South Korean team is led by the experienced veteran coach Kong Jia, with sharp tactical planning and skillful on-the-spot command, and the players also implement his tactical philosophy in place. On the other hand, the coach of the National Olympic Games, Cheng Yaodong, although he is old, has been playing in the Chinese Super League for a long time, and his on-the-spot adaptability and sense of tactical innovation need to be strengthened. In the first game against Japan, his two substitutions were met with a lot of doubts and criticism.
Historical Record: The National Olympic Games have been repeatedly defeated
Taking a step back, even if the National Olympic Games have reached their peak in terms of individual ability and team run-in, they are still stretched thin in the face of East Asian powerhouses. In the 13 historical meetings of the Asian Cup, the national Olympic team has only achieved a poor record of one win, and it is in the third camp of the Asian U23-level competition, which is exactly the same as the dilemma of the Chinese men's football team on the Asian stage.
South Korea is undoubtedly a traditional powerhouse in Asian U23 football, having won the Asian Cup five times before. In this Asian Cup, they came with the goal of directly qualifying for the Paris Olympics, and they were determined to win the championship. In contrast, the Chinese team only participated in the Olympic Games in the spirit of "focusing on participation".
Defensive counterattack? Cheng Yaodong is difficult to use
In the face of such a strong opponent, coach Cheng Yaodong previously revealed that the tactics of the National Olympic team will focus on defensive counterattacks. However, with Cheng Yaodong's previous coaching philosophy and tactical arrangement, it is difficult to expect him to be able to deal with the South Korean team.
Looking back on the first game, although the National Olympic Games occupied the numerical advantage on the field for a long time, they failed to seize the opportunity under the command of Cheng Yaodong and wasted many excellent opportunities to score goals. In the first half, he arranged for the team to slow down the pace of attack, and the backcourt slowed down until the opponent's defense was rearranged before launching the attack; In the second half, he believed in "defending instead of attacking", and even let the goalkeeper make a cameo as a striker, trying to seize the opportunity to counterattack, which was really regarded as a grotesque tactic of "more than enough for the Spring Festival Gala".
Will Cheng Yaodong still use these slow and conservative tactics against the South Korean team? If so, I believe that the National Olympic Games will hardly have a chance to equalize the game. South Korea have a clear advantage, and even if the National Olympics form a wave advantage, with Cheng Yaodong's coaching ability, it is difficult to expect them to create much of a threat. Perhaps, the biggest suspense in the National Olympic Games is whether it can completely defend against the fierce South Korean team.
In general, the serious imbalance of strength is the fundamental reason why it is difficult for the Olympic team to defeat the South Korean team. Although Cheng Yaodong has high expectations, judging from his coaching philosophy and command style, it is difficult to expect him to make the National Olympic Games create miracles. Therefore, against the host South Korean team, the possibility of the national Olympic team wanting to win is almost zero. But having said that, there are often many variables on the football field, and maybe Cheng Yaodong and his students can fight for a chance in a desperate situation, let's wait and see.