The third round of the CSL FA Cup is all over, and three CSL teams suffered losses against lower level opponents, with Chengdu Rongcheng, Cangzhou Lions and Shenzhen eliminated from the tournament early on. Except for Cangzhou, the other two teams were eliminated by the second division teams. Considering the AFC Cup rules that stipulate that Chinese Super League teams cannot use foreign players against Second Division teams, this sparked a discussion among Shenhua fans about the difference in the level of domestic players, which has become one of the hot topics.
For most Shenhua fans, last Friday night was painful. This team was advanced by Yukun on the road in Yunnan. They saw that they would repeat the same mistake they made in their first match years ago. If it wasn't for youngster Fernando and the veterans stepping up at a crucial moment for Han Chao, and a slightly less experienced opponent, the outcome of Shenhua's trip to Yunnan could have been very embarrassing. Worse still, after Shenhua's equalizer, the broadcast signal of the AFC Cup was suddenly in the middle, and TV and internet viewers were unable to see the "Monkey's" goal first time. Although this inadvertently aroused the appetite of all parties, but also shows the lack of soft power of Chinese soccer.
With the news of the team's reversal, many Shenhua fans criticized the team's performance, arguing that even in China, Shenhua's players should be more capable than their opponents, and that the win shouldn't have been so lucky. The fans' message points to the core of the problem: can a Chinese Super League team without foreign aid not even make it to B-level? Chinese players can't play soccer when foreigners are on hiatus? These two seemingly untenable propositions keep becoming reality in Chengdu Rongcheng and Shenzhen. Even teams that pass customs used to struggle to play soccer. Scenes like these have come up time and time again, and it can't help but make people sweat for the future of the national soccer team's fighting ability.
A few years ago, in the era of the Chinese Super League's frantic money-burning, many teams had a luxurious foreign aid lineup, which not only made the league full of interesting places, but also allowed Chinese players to gradually develop a dependence on foreign aid. Very often, the playing style of Chinese Super League teams is simple and rough:foreign aiders are responsible for attacking and scoring goals, while other players are responsible for defending and passing. After a few years of abnormal development, the "golden dollar wave" has receded, but it is difficult to change the bad habits of players in a short time. In various competitions, the national soccer team is often "powerless", the lack of creativity in the midfield, which is the legacy of their legacy. In addition, foreigners have long occupied the starting positions, and many young players lack the opportunity to play under relatively conservative coaches. When they need to take the lead, "pulling the crotch" has become a common practice. As a result of multiple factors, Shenhua and Chengdu, the leading teams in the Chinese Super League, have been forced into an uphill battle by China B after being taken away by foreign aid.
Cui Kangxi, who led Shenhua to win the FA Cup and is now coaching in Shandong, has confessed that Chinese players should learn to be the protagonists of the game, get rid of their dependence on foreign aid and try to "bring" foreign aid. Once upon a time, we did this in our league and cup games. The domestic players of the old Shenhua team could "feed" a foreign student, Valoja, to become the best scorer of the team with skillful coordination and passing. The old Guoan team used to play amazingly well with an all Chinese squad, finishing in the top three in the league... At the time, the national soccer team often broke the hearts of its fans, but at least the basic technical skills of the international players were enough to easily grasp most Asian opponents. Now, "in addition to anger, there is the current plight of Chinese soccer.
Two Chinese Super League teams have been knocked out of the tournament, which means that a second division team will advance to the last eight of the F.A.C. Cup and will be the opponent of either Shenhua or Zhejiang. On the surface, the winner of Shanghai and Zhejiang is likely to advance directly to the semifinals, but judging from the third round, neither of the two Chinese Super League teams dare to take it lightly. After all, Mr. Zhu Jun once asserted that "Chinese players are all at the same level", and this view is being confirmed time and time again. To change this situation, I'm afraid it's not just a matter of hiring a few good coaches.
