Soccer Daily News: National ladder team may play in domestic league to prepare for Asian Cup and Olympic qualifiers
March 10, Beijing News - Soccer News newly disclosed that China's U21 national youth and U19 national youth two national echelon is expected to be among the domestic league this season. U21 national youth will compete in the first league, U19 national youth will debut in the second league. The move is seen as a coping strategy for the special period.
The two teams have recently started a new round of training in Shanghai, with the U21s aiming to prepare for next year's U23 Asian Cup and Olympic qualifiers, while the U19s will have to meet the challenge of the U20 Asian Cup qualifiers in September to qualify for next year's final stage, to be held in Uzbekistan. However, the epidemic has limited the team's opportunities for quality warm-ups, with overseas training and inviting opponents to tournaments in China proving difficult. Against this backdrop, the domestic league has become an exceptional way to safeguard the players' form.
It is worth mentioning that the U21 National Youth Football League coached by Cheng Yaodong has been participating in the China B League with the whole team since two years ago, and the results of practicing have been remarkable. After the age of the players has increased, many players have already established themselves in the Chinese Super League or the Chinese League A. The overall strength of the team has improved significantly compared to two years ago. This entry into the Central League aims to improve the team's practical level. As for the U19 National Youth Football League to participate in the Central B League, it is a continuation of the pattern of the National Youth Football League participation two years ago.
In an interview, Cheng Yaodong talked about the advantages and disadvantages of the National Youth League team participating in the domestic league, he said, "the whole unit to participate in the professional league, facing the adult team opponents, the National Youth League team members to make progress in many aspects." In Cheng Yaodong's view, improving the ability to play in real games is a must for the team's growth, while high-level confrontation matches are an effective means of honing the players.
Below are excerpts from the original interview with Sung Yiu Tung:
"After the whole organization of the national youth team to participate in the professional league, because the opponent is an adult team, the players in all aspects of the ability than the young players, which makes the national youth team members in the process of playing small in the process of the big in many aspects of progress."
By participating in the domestic league, the team's practical ability is expected to be further improved, laying a solid foundation for the future Asian Cup and Olympic qualifiers.
