The "disappeared" nearly a year of the national soccer team finally have a new trend. February 1, the national soccer warm-up plan finally settled, the Chinese Football Association officially announced that the national soccer team will be on March 23 and 26 with the New Zealand national soccer team to play two warm-up matches.
After three and a half years, the national soccer team finally got another chance to play in an international A-level friendly.
There is no doubt that warming up with New Zealand, who are not as well ranked internationally, the national soccer team's goal is to win and find confidence. But it is embarrassing that although the warm-up time has been confirmed, there is no clear answer to the more crucial question of candidates for the team's coach and training members.
On June 11, 2019, the national soccer team, led by former coach Lippi, fought against Tajikistan at the Tianhe Sports Center. For the next three and a half years, the national soccer team never organized another international A-level friendly match. During the preparation for the Top 40 and Top 12, we only communicated with a few Chinese Super League teams or national-level ladder teams, and the warm-up effect was difficult to guarantee.
In this case, the warm-up opportunity for the national football team is especially valuable. Currently, the New Zealand national team is ranked 105th in the world, and the national football team is ranked 80th.
Looking at the rankings, the national soccer team is expected to find the confidence lost in the Top 12 through the two warm-up matches and get the new World Cup cycle off to a good start.
However, it is not easy for the national soccer team to win two matches. Historically, the New Zealand national team has played three exchanges with the national soccer team, and the national soccer team drew 1-1 with their opponents, making it difficult to differentiate between winners and losers. In this battle, New Zealand has a home bonus which will be a factor in their favor in the tournament.
At the same time, uncertainty about the team's personnel has made it even more difficult for the national soccer team to speak of "consistent victories". Since the conclusion of its first 12 matches at the end of March last year, the national team, which has received the most attention, has been virtually "disbanded" and has not conducted any form of training for the past year.
Until today, no one has given a clear answer as to who is the team's coach. The coach is yet to be finalized and the finalization of the training lineup is not possible.
From the current situation, Li Xiaopeng may continue to fulfill his coaching contract and lead the team to New Zealand under the premise that Jankovic will be confirmed as the coach of the U in 24 Asian Games. However, it is certain that the new national soccer training team will have a lot of "blood changes" compared to the previous 12.
With the average age of the national soccer team approaching 30 years old in the last 12 matches of last year, an upgrade was imperative. In the last few games, Li Xiaopeng intentionally increased the playing opportunities for young players such as Gao Tianyi, Dai Weijun, Zhu Chenjie, etc., to pave the way for a new phase of the national soccer team. New World Cup cycle, new, middle-generation players will lead the way.
Losses in the last 12 games have turned the four-year wait of many fans into a bubble. Now the national soccer team, which has not trained for nearly a year, whose coach has not yet been identified, and which is facing renewal, is not as optimistic as the outside world might think if it wants to make a "good start" in a "weak" team.
