China's women's soccer team vying for top eight in World Cup
GUANGZHOU DAILY (All Media Correspondent Zhang Zhe) - China's men's and women's soccer teams have important tournaments to attend this year, and many of them have already begun training.
The Asian qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup have begun. According to the calendar, the first stage will be held in October this year. The national soccer team can directly enter the second stage of the 36-team tournament, and the first two rounds of the 36-team tournament will be held in November. For the Chinese men's soccer team, 2023 is going to be about aiming for a new world qualifier while taking care of the Asian Cup.
For the final 36 matches, teams will be divided into nine groups, with the top nine in Asia seeded in the first tier. The national soccer team is currently ranked 11th in Asia and will undoubtedly have a harder time advancing to the next stage. The draw groups for the first 36 matches will be held around June this year, so the eight international a-tier warm-up matches in March and June this year will be crucial for the national soccer team to improve its Asian ranking and try to get back into the top 9. Worryingly, however, the reorganization of the national soccer team, including the selection of a coach, has not yet been resolved.
In addition to the national soccer team, the other four levels of men's soccer teams have important games to play. The Hangzhou Asian Games have been postponed to September this year, and the u24 national football team, led by Serbian coach Jankovic, will be playing. 2001, with Cheng Yaodong as coach. u This September, they will participate in the u23 Asian Cup qualifiers for the 21st National Youth Football Team and the first stage of the Asian phase of the men's soccer qualifying tournament for the 2024 Paris Olympics. The 2003 age group u National Youth Team led by Spanish coach Antonio will travel to Uzbekistan in March u 20 matches in the final round of the Asian Cup. The tournament led by Yang Chen. u17 National Junior Team will leave for Thailand in May for 17 matches in the final round of the u Asian Cup.
After regaining the Women's Asian Cup title after 16 years last year, the Chinese women's soccer team led by Shui Qingxia is on the road to revival. The most important thing for the Chinese women's soccer team this year is to participate in the Women's World Cup, which will be held in Australia and New Zealand from July to August, with the goal of finishing in the top eight. According to the schedule, the Chinese women's soccer team will play their first match against Denmark on July 22nd, then go out to play the play-off teams on July 28th and face England on August 1st. If you finish in the top two of the group, you will play a cross-elimination match against the top two of the second group. In addition, China's women's soccer team's tasks this year include the Hangzhou Asian Games and the 2024 Paris Olympic Games qualifiers.
Led by Wang Jun u this March, 20 women's youth will travel to Laos to participate in the first stage of the u20 Women's Asian Cup qualifiers. u17 women's football due to direct next year's u17 Women's Asian Cup final round qualification, so there is no major tournament this year task.
