The group stage of the U20 Asian Cup is now in its final round and the qualification picture is becoming clearer. So far, four teams have managed to break through and earn their tickets to the last eight. The Chinese men's soccer team, too, will have their own battle to the death in the near future, and as long as you can beat your opponents and earn three points, there will be a place for China in the final eight teams as well!
Before the start of the final round of Group A matches, hosts Uzbekistan had already advanced, with Iraq and Indonesia battling it out for the last advancement. Perhaps advancing early allowed the players to relax, Uzbekistan failed to score against their last opponents, Indonesia, as they were held to a 0-0 draw, eventually winning the first place in the group with seven points and entering the knockout stage with their heads held high. The other promotion spot belonged to Iraq, who also ended the match with a 1-1 scoreline in a tight battle with Syria. Thanks to the superior result, they beat Indonesia to reach the last eight.
In Group B, it experienced a fierce battle. Before this round, this group hadn't advanced, and despite Vietnam's two consecutive victories in the first two rounds, the Southeast Asian power could still be eliminated if they lost to Iran in the final round. Such a small chance event really happened. Facing the Persian Iron Riders, Vietnam was passive, and although trailing they had equalized, they eventually suffered their first loss in the U20 Asian Cup with a 1-3 loss to Iran.
In the other match in the same group, Australia came out swinging. Facing Qatar, who had lost their first two matches, the Aussies didn't hold back at all. Although they conceded a goal first, they scored 9 goals in the next game and eventually killed Qatar by a 9-1 margin. After winning this game, Australia's points also went up to 6 points, so after the final round, Vietnam, Iran and Australia got 6 points in Group B. In the end, the stunning Asian dark horse had to be stopped after the confrontation records were calculated and Vietnam went out because of the goal difference.
Soon, the Chinese men's soccer team will also have their final group stage match against the weakest opponent, Kyrgyzstan. As long as we can win against our opponents, regardless of the outcome of the other match, China can break through and earn a ticket to the last eight. If we are held to a draw by our opponents, we should count on Saudi Arabia to beat Japan. We can still squeeze out Saudi Arabia's advancement through the margin of victory. But if Saudi Arabia goes undefeated and China loses, we will be eliminated and stop the group stage again.
This time, the initiative to get out of the line is firmly in our own hands, and I hope that the Chinese U20 men's soccer team can compete and not drop the chain!
