As night falls, China's women's soccer team is about to make its debut in the first group match of the Asian Cup against Chinese Taipei in the early hours of Beijing time on the 20th. After the heavy blow of the Olympic Games, the new Chinese women's soccer team has returned to the international arena with a combination of veteran, mid-generation and young players in the lineup. Despite the relatively low pressure of this Asian Cup match, the new women's soccer team desperately needs to rebuild their confidence through outstanding performances. Head coach Shui Qingxia was adamant that the team's goal is to bag the Asian Cup trophy once again. However, she also admitted that with the hot climate in India coupled with the challenge of the epidemic, a little bit of luck will be needed in addition to outstanding play to win the title.
A total of 12 strong teams are participating in this year's Asian Cup, which has been divided into three groups. The top two teams and the third place finishers from the two best groups will advance to the last eight. In addition, this year's Asian Cup is also the Asian qualifier for the 2023 Women's World Cup in Australia/New Zealand. Apart from hosts Australia, the five teams with the best results will qualify for the World Cup. Given that the North Korean women's soccer team has announced its withdrawal from the tournament, it seems unlikely that it will be difficult for the Chinese women's soccer team to advance to the final round of the World Cup. For many second-tier Asian women's soccer teams, this year's Asian Cup has also become their road of hope to the World Cup.
On the 16th, the Chinese team arrived in Mumbai, India on a chartered plane, and the core player Tang Jiali has also met with the team and successfully passed the AFC's new crown virus test. According to the schedule, the Chinese team will face Chinese Taipei at 18:00 on the 20th, Iranian women's soccer team at 22:00 on the 23rd, and Indian women's soccer team at 22:00 on the 26th. As long as there are no surprises, advancing should not be a big problem. Of course, the Chinese team also hopes to boost their morale in the group stage, showing a strong fighting spirit, and strive to go farther in this Asian Cup.
In three matches at the Olympics, the Chinese women's soccer team drew 1 and lost 2, conceding a total of 17 goals, a performance that shocked domestic fans. This year's Asian Cup is not only an important task to boost morale and reshape the image, but also a test of the spirit of the brand new national team. In the pre-match conference, head coach Shui Qingxia and captain Wang Shanshan both emphasized the importance of showing the team's spirit.
