The Chinese Olympic Games lost 0-2 to South Korea in the second round of Group B of the U23 Asian Cup, and suffered two consecutive defeats in the group after being clean sheets, and were eliminated one round ahead of schedule. The performance of the national Olympic team has sparked heated discussions in the media, especially the tactics of Cheng Yaodong's goalkeeper who have been criticized by the South Korean media.
Compared with the first round against Japan, the offensive performance of the national Olympic team in the first half was eye-catching, with a wave of offensive and sharp counterattacks, and the South Korean defense was full of holes, but Bai Heram and Xie Wen could miss good opportunities in a row, especially Bai Helamu's single chance failed to grasp. In the second half of the first half, the South Korean team began to counterattack, and the collective leakage of the National Olympic defense allowed the South Korean team to seize the opportunity to take the lead and score.
Although the national Olympic team still had a chance to recover the score in the second half, after Xie Wenneng and Yang Zihao's shots failed to hit the target, the South Korean team took the opportunity to counterattack, and Lee Yongjun's goal made the situation even more unfavorable. In the end, the Chinese Olympic team even put goalkeeper Jin Yong off the bench as a cameo as a center forward, trying to find an offensive breakthrough, but the effect was not obvious, and in the end the national Olympic team paid the price for squandering the opportunity, suffering two consecutive defeats 0-2, and the group exit was a foregone conclusion.
For this game, the national Olympic team showed a certain enthusiasm, but there were many problems with tactics and player details, which may not be solved by simple training camps and closed-door games. Therefore, there are media calls for these young players to return to their respective clubs as soon as possible to improve their level by participating in the league and prepare for the future national team competitions.
The Olympic team's offensive and defensive performances were unsatisfactory, they failed to take advantage of their opportunities, and showed a weak foundation and lack of experience in the game. Some media people have called for a re-examination of the direction of improving the overall level of Chinese football to avoid going astray.
It is worth mentioning that Cheng Yaodong once again sent a goalkeeper with a height of more than 2 meters to play the role of a striker in the final stage of the goalkeeper Jin Yong, who had previously played the role of a striker in the final stage against the Japanese team. Such unconventional tactics have also become the focus of heated discussions in the media and fans.
The South Korean media questioned and criticized such tactics. They believe that this "crazy tactic" did not produce the expected offensive effect, but put the Chinese team in an embarrassing situation, which is a farce of the collapse of Chinese football. Similarly, some domestic media have questioned the performance of the national Olympic team, arguing that their failure to take advantage of opportunities in the game reflects the team's overall lack of ability.
The Under-23 Asian Cup is the only chance to qualify for the Paris Olympics, with only the top four finishers in the tournament having a chance to qualify. The Chinese Olympic team is at the bottom with 0 points and 0 goals after two consecutive defeats, and the national Olympic team has suffered five consecutive clean sheets in the U23 Asian Cup, including 0-1 loss to South Korea in the last edition, 0-2 loss to Uzbekistan, 0-1 loss to Iran, 0-1 loss to Japan and 0-2 loss to South Korea.
South Korea topped the table with 6 points in 2 games. The other match in the same group in this round was Japan's victory over the United Arab Emirates, so that China and the United Arab Emirates both went out of the Olympic Games one round ahead of schedule. The final round of the group will start at 9 p.m. on April 22, with South Korea taking on Japan and China playing against the United Arab Emirates for honor.