After a 0-0 stalemate with Japan in the second round of the East Asian Cup
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Jankovic, the manager of the team, showed a rare smile and said with emotion: "The last 0-3 loss has taught the team a deep lesson. Today's opponent has a strong system, but our players' performance in terms of tactical layout, defense and attacking pressure is noteworthy. If we go one step further, victory may be just around the corner! In the next training, the coaching team will help the players to recover and look forward to a good result in the last match with Hong Kong, China."
This statement from Yankovic was more than a little bit of an understatement compared to the first match.On the evening of July 24th
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The Selects showed a step up on the court and welcomed a better score. But this is only a partial evaluation of the two matches. If you look at the entire mid
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The perspective of the East Asian Cup against South Korea and Japan once again reveals the indisputable fact - the Chinese
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Instead of narrowing, the gap with these two neighbors is tending to widen.
The Japanese team in the East Asian Cup did not recall any players from Europe, and the players in the squad are not the top elites of the J-League, but the starting four players and one substitute are all making their debut on behalf of the adult national team. Nevertheless, the individual skills of the Japanese players were far superior to those of the Chinese players, and their tactical style was also unified. They had 66% of the ball in their possession, 18 shots on goal and 7 goals. Although the Chinese players learned a lesson, running and scrambling more actively, but the technical gap can not be bridged. Facing the high pressure of the Japanese midfield, the Chinese team had difficulty in maintaining possession of the ball and frequently lost the ball in their own half of the field.
Goalkeeper Han Jiaqi was once again the busiest player for the Chinese team. In the 5th minute, Japan's free kick, Hashimoto boxer shot, Han Jiaqi pounced out of the bottom line; in the 10th minute, Wakizaka Taedu shot, Han Jiaqi save; in the 43rd minute, Koike Ryuta pass, China's goal clearance error, Han Jiaqi out of the destruction; in the 56th minute, Japan's breakaway, Wakizaka Taedu shot, Han Jiaqi once again will confiscate the ball.
In addition to Han Jiaqi, Zhu Chenjie, who had his own goal against South Korea, also performed well in this game. As the captain of the team, he was active in the defensive end, keeping the goal intact, and even nearly broke the goal. In the 81st minute, China's corner kick, Zhu Chenjie shot in the air, but the ball slightly over the crossbar. This was the only chance China came close to breaking through in the first two matches, totaling only three shots on goal.
The draw, while benefiting from China's hustle and bustle, also exposed the lack of explosiveness in Japan's attacking line, which was the key to China's ability to hold on for the draw. Although Japan was able to play a fluid attack inside China's 30-meter zone, it lacked the ability to make the final pass and shoot on goal. Japan's skipper Mori Boichi expressed his loss after the match, admitting that his team struggled but accepted the result.
The Chinese selectors, mainly U23 players, showed good spirit, but the draw was not a cause for celebration. For young players, the next battle against Hong Kong, China is the key. "The East Asian Cup is not the bottom of the" is the Chinese
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the bottom line, and the selectors have yet to reach that goal. (Photo credit: AFP)
Author: Chen Haixiang
Editor: Gu Miao
Editor: Shen Lei
