With Japan's U23 defeat of the United Arab Emirates U23 2-0 in the U23 Asian Cup, the fate of the Chinese U23 men's national football team (hereinafter referred to as the "National Olympic Games") has been settled in the group stage. The bitter start of two consecutive defeats not only brought the journey of the Olympic Games in Qatar U23 Asian Cup to an abrupt end, but also announced the early end of their fate with the 2024 Paris Olympics. Despite this, this is not the end of the struggle of the Chinese Football Youth Army, but the starting point of a new journey. Head coach Cheng Yaodong's calm and firm words after the game revealed that although the team suffered setbacks, their spirit was undefeated, and the future journey still needs to continue.
Defeat the qualifiers, learn from the pain
The two defeats of the National Olympic Games in this qualifier are undoubtedly a severe test of the team's overall strength and preparation. In the face of Asian national teams, the young Olympic team members exposed their deficiencies in technical and tactical levels, lack of competition experience and lack of psychological quality at critical moments in the competition. Losing the first game and losing the second game is undoubtedly a heavy blow to the young talents with Olympic dreams. However, the brutality of competitive sports lies in its rigorous selection of victories and the driving force behind the sport's progress.
The manager's message ignites hope
Faced with the reality of early exit, head coach Cheng Yaodong did not indulge in pessimism, but chose to look at the experience with a positive attitude. He stressed that for this group of young players, this qualifier is not only a competitive stage, but also an invaluable experience on the road of life. Cheng Yaodong pointed out that defeat is painful, but only through such a tough battle can the players truly understand the intensity of the competition, the fierce competition, and the high standards of international competitions for personal technical, physical and psychological qualities. This experience has irreplaceable value for their growth, whether it is in the improvement of football skills or in the formation of personality.
Cheng Yaodong further said that although the National Olympic Games failed to achieve the goal of entering the Paris Olympics, the spirit of unity, cooperation and tenacious struggle shown by the team has not been diminished by the gloomy results. He firmly believes that as long as the players can learn from the defeat, learn from the pain, and adjust their mentality, it is still possible to write a new chapter in the future games. His remarks are like a bright light in the darkness, illuminating the way forward for the team, and also giving a little comfort to the majority of fans and people who care about Chinese football.
Reflection and reform give birth to new life
The early exit of the National Olympic Games has once again triggered in-depth reflection on China's football youth training system and talent training mechanism from all walks of life. In recent years, although the state has increased its investment in football, and multi-level reform measures such as campus football and professional youth training have continued to advance, the performance in the international arena has not improved significantly, especially in the field of men's football, and the performance of the youth national team in major competitions is often unsatisfactory. Behind this, there are not only the problems of coaching team construction, training methods and concept updates, but also deep-seated contradictions such as the selection mechanism of young players, the competition system, and the balance between studies and careers.
In the face of reality, China's football industry urgently needs to carry out systematic and structural reforms. On the one hand, it is necessary to increase the training and introduction of grassroots coaches, improve the professional quality of youth coaches and modern football concepts, and ensure that young players can receive scientific and standardized training in the early stage of growth. On the other hand, optimize the competition system, increase high-quality competition opportunities, encourage young teams to "go global", and improve their actual combat ability and international vision through exchanges and confrontations with foreign high-level teams. At the same time, we will explore a more reasonable mode of combining learning and training to ensure that young players can receive good cultural education while pursuing their football dreams, so as to provide multiple paths for future development.
The future is promising, and the journey is to be continued
Although the Chinese U23 men's football team failed to qualify for the Paris Olympics in this qualifier, as Cheng Yaodong said, this does not mean that their football career stops, but may become an important turning point in their careers. For these young players, every setback is an opportunity to sharpen their will and improve themselves. As long as they can turn this defeat into motivation, continue to hone their skills, maintain their desire to win and love football, they can still be seen in the national team in the future.
For Chinese football as a whole, the exit of the National Olympic Games should be regarded as an opportunity to deepen the reform of youth training and reshape the construction of the talent echelon. Only by facing up to problems and having the courage to change can we truly tap and cultivate batches of outstanding football talents with international competitiveness, so as to gradually enhance the status of Chinese football on the world stage. Although the national Olympic team has left the stadium at this moment, as long as the Chinese football people are united and unswervingly promote reform, the future journey will surely forge ahead in hopes and challenges, and the dream of the rejuvenation of Chinese football will finally shine into reality.
The early exit of the Chinese U23 men's football team in the Qatar U23 Asian Cup and Paris Olympics qualifiers is undoubtedly a sad experience, but it is also a profound growth. Head Coach Cheng Yaodong's encouraging words let us see the mental strength of the team in the face of adversity, and also strengthened our confidence in the future development of Chinese football. Only by in-depth reflection and determined reform can we break out of the cocoon and become a butterfly, so that the Chinese Football Youth Army can show its due style in the international arena in the future and continue to write a glorious chapter that belongs to them.