As the number one supporter of the Chinese national men's football team, Cui Kangxi reached out at a critical moment for the national football team and offered advice to coach Ivankovic. In the face of the upcoming match of the Thai team, Choi Kang-hee put forward a unique suggestion to try to help the national football team achieve the goal of advancing to the round of 18. From stabilizing the defensive line to exerting the power of the forwards, Choi Kang-hee's "one-move winning" plan can be described as a nemesis for the Thai team. This not only shows his foresight for the future development of the national football team, but also reflects his superb tactical skills as a senior football practitioner.
1. Gain insight into Ivan's motives for watching the battle and take the lead in laying out countermeasures
As the coach of Shandong Luneng, Cui Kangxi obviously expected that the national football coach Ivankovic would come to watch the game. This battle between Luneng and Chengdu Rongcheng is undoubtedly a great opportunity for Ivan to select an international candidate. Therefore, in this key game, Cui Kangxi first considered how to show the strength of Luneng players under Ivan's sight, and laid the groundwork for the future national team selection.
To this end, Cui Kangxi decisively sent an all-Chinese squad to start the game. This not only shows his trust in domestic players, but also provides a valuable reference for the upcoming match of the Thai team. In the face of the strong Chengdu Rongcheng, Luneng was able to win with the least cost with its steady defense and flexible tactics, which is enough to prove that the strength of this all-Chinese squad should not be underestimated. For the national football team that is about to play against the Thai team, this tactic of "overcoming the strong with the weak" is undoubtedly worth learning.
At the same time, Choi Kang-hee's decision also sent a clear signal to Ivankovic: domestic players also have excellent strength and potential, and can become the future backbone of the national team. As a veteran footballer, Choi Kang-hee naturally understands that to truly build a strong national team, it is inseparable from the important contributions of outstanding domestic players. Therefore, through this encounter with the Rongcheng team, he tried to let Ivan see the unique value of domestic players and lay a good foundation for the future talent selection of the national football team.
2. Defensive strategy for the Thai team: stabilize the defense line with the "631" formation
In the match with Chengdu Rongcheng, Luneng adopted a relatively rare "631" formation. This formation features three midfielders in midfield to build a solid defence, while keeping two strikers and one midfielder up front for organising the attack. This compact and solid defensive formation finally succeeded in stopping the attack of the powerful Chengdu Rongcheng team.
For the upcoming Thai team, Cui Kangxi believes that the national football team can learn from Luneng's "631" tactics. First of all, this formation can effectively stabilize the defensive line and make the Thai team's attack useless. In the face of a strong Thai offensive line, a tight defensive system is particularly crucial. Instead of letting the national football team take the initiative too much, it is better to make sure that the goal is not conceded first, and then look for opportunities to score.
Secondly, this formation can also provide more space for the frontcourt players of the national football team to play. With the support of the midfield trio, forwards Wei Shihao and Zhang Yuning will be better able to challenge the Thai team's defence. As long as the defense is solid, the frontcourt players can concentrate on attacking with threats. This is exactly what Choi Kang-hee expects from the lineup and tactics of the national football team.
It is worth mentioning that this "631" formation also has a relatively successful precedent in international football. Croatia used this tactic at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, where they made it all the way to the final in the semi-finals against England. Even with a scarce midfield resource, Croatia were able to take advantage of the characteristics of this formation to keep their overall defense in order, so as to show excellent attacking talent in key moments. For the current national football team, which is not very substantial, this may be a tactical orientation worth emulating.
3. Frontcourt players play: focus on activating Wei Shihao and Zhang Yuning
In the upcoming match of the Thai team, Choi Kang-hee believes that the play of the frontcourt players of the national football team is very important. In particular, Wei Shihao and Zhang Yuning, who relied on the "631" formation to show their strengths, will definitely pose a huge threat to the Thai team if they can play their due level.
First of all, Wei Shihao had an excellent performance in the previous away game against Thailand, and broke down the opponent's backline on many occasions. As a nimble and agile striker, he was able to use his pace and ability to break through and cause a lot of problems at the back of the Thai team. As long as the national football midfielder can pass the ball to his feet in time, Wei Shihao has the opportunity to show his unique attacking talent.
Secondly, Zhang Yuning, as a tall center of the national football team, can also play an important role in this game. His presence is able to draw the attention of the Thai defence and create more opportunities for players like Wes. Zhang Yuning can not only contain the opposing defenders in the frontcourt, but also use his own advantages to take the initiative in the aerial battle. As long as the attacking rhythm of the national football team can be tacitly matched, the forward combination will surely become a difficult threat for the Thai team to deal with.
In addition, Choi Kang-hee also suggested that Ivan could focus on activating the offensive status of these two players. Wei Shihao has shown good individual ability in previous games, and can break through independently at critical moments and cause big problems for opponents. As a tall center, Zhang Yuning can not only occupy an advantage in the air, but also use his height advantage to contain the Thai team's backline and create more offensive opportunities for Wei Shihao and other teammates.
It is based on the respective advantages of these two players that Cui Kangxi believes that the national football team can design more targeted tactics around them. As long as they can stimulate their explosiveness at critical moments, they will definitely bring great help to the national football team in the match with the Thai team.
Fourth, pay attention to details and make good use of substitute resources
In addition to focusing on the training of the main players, Choi Kang-hee also reminded the national football coach Ivan that he should also pay attention to details when formulating overall tactics and make good use of substitute resources.
First of all, on the defensive side, Cui Kangxi suggested that in addition to firmly holding the middle with the "631" formation, the national football team should also pay close attention to the stability of the side defense. Although the Thai team has excellent offensive ability, if the national football team can defend closely on both wings and cut off their offensive channels, the Thai team's attack will not be effective. Therefore, the tacit understanding between the fullbacks and fullbacks of the national football team will directly affect the solidity of the overall defensive line.
Secondly, on the offensive end, Choi Kang-hee reminded Ivan to make good use of the power of the substitutes. Even if Wei Shihao and Zhang Yuning can play well in the starters, their fitness will inevitably decline as the game wears off. At this time, the role of substitute strikers such as Wu Lei and Zhang Xizhe is very important. They can switch on at the right time and use their speed and impact to cause new problems for Thailand in the latter stages of the game.
In addition, in terms of controlling the tempo in the midfield, Choi Kang-hee also suggested that Ivan could consider using substitutes appropriately. For example, if the three midfielders in the "631" formation are up and down during the game, it may be useful to adjust them appropriately and give some of the younger players some playing time. They can breathe new life into the team with a good mental state and ensure that there are no gaps in midfield control.
In short, Cui Kangxi believes that when formulating the overall tactics of the national football team, the details cannot be ignored. Only by controlling both the defensive and offensive ends can we ensure that the national football team is always in control of the situation in the match against the Thai team. At the same time, making good use of substitute resources is also a key link worth paying attention to, which can help the national football team achieve a reversal of the situation at a critical moment.
Fifth, scientific rotation, reasonable arrangement of personnel
In addition to giving advice at the tactical level, Choi Kang-hee also reminded Ivan to work on personnel arrangements. He believes that in the upcoming crucial match with the Thai team, the national football team needs to adopt a scientific and reasonable rotation to ensure that the players can reach the best condition in terms of physical fitness and condition.
First of all, Choi Kang-hee suggested that Ivan could adjust the starting lineup appropriately and let some players in better shape make their debut. For example, on the forward line, in addition to Wei Shihao and Zhang Yuning, Wu Lei and others can also be considered. Because although these players are not starters, they are also in excellent form, and once they are on the field, they can inject new impetus into the national football team.
Secondly, in terms of controlling the tempo in the midfield, Choi Kang-hee suggested that Ivan could also adjust the rotation appropriately. For example, among the three midfielders in the "631" formation, some can be replaced by appropriate rotations. This not only ensures the fitness of the midfielders, but also ensures that there are no major fluctuations in the control of the entire midfield line.
In addition, on the defensive end, Choi Kang-hee also suggested that Ivan could consider rotating the lineup appropriately. Although the "631" formation performs well on the defensive end, maintaining this defensive posture for a long time will inevitably bring a certain amount of physical burden to the players. Therefore, Ivan can appropriately adjust the rotation of defensive personnel to ensure that the national football team still maintains a good defensive state at critical moments.
In short, the scientific and reasonable rotation arrangement can not only ensure that the national football players are in the best state in terms of physical fitness and condition, but also ensure that the execution of the overall tactics will not fluctuate greatly due to the ups and downs of the players' state. This is crucial for the national football team to win the match against Thailand.
VI. Conclusion
To sum up, Cui Kangxi's suggestions for the national football team to win the Thai team can be said to be all-round and highly targeted. From the overall tactical deployment to the transfer of frontcourt players, to the control of details and the arrangement of personnel rotation, Cui Kangxi gave actionable suggestions.
As a senior football practitioner, Cui Kangxi undoubtedly has his own unique views on the future development of the national football team. He not only values the potential of domestic players, but also pays more attention to the scientific and rational tactical system. As long as the national football team can carefully study and implement his suggestions, I believe that they will be able to win the match against the Thai team and successfully advance to the round of 18.
At the same time, Cui Kangxi's suggestion also reflects his deep concern for the development of the national football team. As a staunch supporter of the national football team, he is undoubtedly contributing to the future development of this team. Through the comprehensive thinking of "bringing tactics with actual combat and leading personnel with tactics", Cui Kangxi hopes to point out the direction for the national football team and help them achieve more excellent results.
I believe that as long as the national football team can unite and conscientiously implement Cui Kangxi's suggestions, it will definitely create a miracle in the match with the Thai team and open a new page for Chinese football. This is not only a commitment to Chinese football fans, but also the best footnote to the better development of Chinese football in the future.