At 21 o'clock in the evening of April 19, 2024 Beijing time, the second round of the group stage of the U23 Asian Cup ushered in a high-profile competition - the Chinese U23 football team played against the South Korean U23 football team. This is a crucial battle for the right to qualify from the group for both teams, and if the national football team fails to beat the opponent, the national football team will face the risk of being eliminated from the competition. Against this backdrop, both teams fielded their strongest lineups in an effort to gain an advantage on the field.
China's U23 team debuted in a 3421 formation, with Huang Zihao as the goalkeeper and Jin Chenfengkai, Liang Shaowen and Yang Zihao as the backline, who showed good defensive ability in the game. In midfield, Duan Dezhi, Tao Qianglong, Jia Feifei and Ruan Qilong were in charge, and they were responsible for controlling the rhythm of the game and the passing line. In the forward line, Liu Zhurun and Xie Wenneng took on the heavy responsibility of attacking, while single striker Baihelam Abduwaili was the arrow of the team's attack. In contrast, South Korea's U23 team also fielded a good line-up, and they showed strong overall strength in the game. However, judging from the course of the game, their performance on the offensive side was not as good as that of the national football team U23. After the start of the first half of the game, the national football team U23 occupied a certain advantage on the field. They created a number of attacking chances through aggressive movement and link-ups. Among them, the performances of striker Baihelam and forward Xie Wenneng are particularly eye-catching. The two of them had a number of shots on goal in the game, but unfortunately, their shooting skills did not perform as well as they should, resulting in chances being wasted one by one.
In the 11th minute, Baihelam broke through with the ball and crossed, but unfortunately his teammates could not follow up in time and missed a good chance to score. In the 14th minute, Xie Wen was able to grab the ball in the penalty area and shoot at the goalkeeper, but the ball was too straight and was defused by the goalkeeper. The emergence of these two opportunities allowed fans to see the potential of the offensive end of the national football U23 team, but also exposed the shortcomings of the players in the final kick. In addition to the problems of shooting skills, the national football team U23 also exposed some other problems in the game. Defensively, for example, they sometimes have holes, leaving room for opponents to attack. On the offensive end, chances were created, but the players' coordination and passing lines left much to be desired. These are the issues that the team needs to improve on in the upcoming games.
In this game, the performance of the national football team U23 in the offensive end is really eye-catching. According to statistics, in the first 20 minutes, the Chinese team completed three shots on goal, while the South Korean team only had one long-range shot. This is enough to show the threat of the national football team U23 on the offensive end. Sadly, however, none of those shots were converted into goals. Xie Wenneng's chance to face the goalkeeper alone was undoubtedly the most threatening. However, his shot was easily deflected away by the goalkeeper. The way the ball was handled not only disappointed by the fans, but also raised questions about the skill of the U23 players in the national football team. As the captain, Tao Qianglong worked very hard in the game. Not only did he take the lead on the pitch, but he also provided a certain threat on the offensive end. However, he also failed to perform at his best in the face of South Korea's tight defense. To a certain extent, this also reflects the plight of the national football team U23 when facing strong teams.
Xie Wenneng and Bai Helamu are key players in the forward and forward lines, and their performance is directly related to the offensive effect of the Chinese team. However, in this game, their performance fell short of expectations. In addition to the technical problems with their shots, their combination and passing in the game also need to be further improved. Judging from the current game situation, if the national football team U23 fails to beat the South Korean team, it will face the risk of being eliminated. This is not only a severe test of the team's strength, but also a challenge to the mentality and willpower of the players. Therefore, in the next matches, the national U23 team needs to go all out, play at their best, and strive for victory.
This game also showed us the shortcomings of the national football U23 team in grasping opportunities and shooting skills on the offensive end. In order to achieve better results in future competitions, the team needs to carry out targeted training and improvement in these areas. In addition, players also need to improve their coordination and passing ability in the game to improve their overall combat efficiency. This match against South Korea U23 was a valuable experience for the national U23 team. Through this game, the players not only accumulated valuable experience, but also realized their own shortcomings. In the future, they need to turn these experiences and lessons into motivation, strive to improve their own level, and contribute to the rise of Chinese football.