Let's talk about the big news of this Asian Cup, not the sensational "we won!" you think, but the kind of gossip of "why did they lose?". Yes, the Australian Olympic team, ranked 24th in the world, did not score a goal in the group stage of the Asian Cup, accumulated two points after three games, finished third in the group, and then left the game in disgrace. Not to mention the promotion, they didn't even get a small victory. If you think this is just a vignette, you might want to reconsider the unpredictability of football.
We have to understand that the Australian Olympic team is not a rookie team. They are regulars in the World Cup, having reached the semi-finals in the last two Asian Cups, and it stands to reason that such a team should sweep the teams and win the U23 Asian Cup. However, the truth is cruel, perhaps overconfident, or underestimating, in short, their performance can be described in one word - bleak.
The absurd plot began with their first match against the Jordanian Olympic team. You probably thought they could win at least a small game, and the result was a 0-0 draw. A draw is a draw, at least not a loss, right? The next matchup is against the Indonesian Olympic team, and they won a penalty in this game - here comes the opportunity! However, football is like that, a penalty that does not score seems to be the beginning of a loss of faith. As a result, Indonesia won by a narrow goal and sent Australia back to the dressing room.
In the final round, the Australian Olympic team faced the host Qatar Olympic team. Do you think this is an opportunity? Wrong! Qatar sent a substitute lineup, but Australia still couldn't find the back of the net. In the end, it ended 0-0, and Australia was like this, with an overwhelming advantage on the field but unable to return to the sky, and unfortunately went out.
If you think there's nothing worse than that, you're wrong. Although the Chinese men's football team also exited early in the same Asian Cup, at least the Chinese Olympic team tasted victory in the last game of the group stage, which was a little better than the Australian Olympic team.
The question now is, what does such a defeat mean for Australian football, is it an unexpected Waterloo, or is it a big wake-up call for the Australian youth system?
This is football, unpredictable and unpredictable. A single game can change the fate of a team. For the Australian Olympic team, this Asian Cup may be an opportunity to re-examine and build. They need to go back and take stock of their failures and prove themselves in the future.
Well, with all that said, what do you think? Does this unexpected defeat also make you feel that one of the charms of football is its unpredictability? Or, what lessons do you think the Australian Olympic team can learn from this fiasco? Feel free to leave a message to discuss and share your views and predictions! This is the charm of football, and every defeat is a foreshadowing for the next victory. Let's wait and see how Australia makes a comeback in future competitions.