In the 12-team tournament, except for a match between Japan and Oman, the other matches did not appear cold. Even if the national soccer team's 1-1 draw with Australia is considered a "small cold", it is enough to affect the final pattern of the group.
In the top group, the Iranian team and South Korea outside the United Arab Emirates, Lebanon, Iraq, Syria and other four teams of the competition, more to the end of the draw, points are not much difference, a game win or lose may instantly change the whole pattern. The second group of the national football team is also the same, Oman and the national football team in the competition with the other three top teams - Australia, Saudi Arabia, Japan - the gap is obvious, even if the two teams advanced to the top group, it is difficult to change the overall situation.
This just shows the gap between the first group and the second group of teams in Asia, and can even be said that there is a clear "gap". The second group of teams, although the number of teams, but to break the monopoly of the first group of Asian qualifying places, the difficulty is quite large.
As a matter of fact, it is not only the current World Qualifier, in the 2018 Russia World Cup Qualifier, five teams, including South Korea, Japan, Australia, Iran, and Saudi Arabia, got out of the line; in the 2014 Brazil World Cup Qualifier, four forces, including South Korea, Japan, Australia, and Iran, got out of the line; and in the 2010 South Africa World Cup Qualifier, the top three teams of South Korea, Japan, and Australia got out of the line, and only North Korea accidentally progressed. Such history clearly tells us: want to get out of the line in the Asian range, you must spell out at least one team, or even two teams, of the above five, before it is possible. In terms of the current overall strength and level of Chinese soccer, it simply does not have such conditions.
Vietnam, the only representative of Southeast Asia, has not scored a single point in the first six rounds for the first time since the final stage of the 2010 World Qualifying Tournament in Asia. This is also feared to be true, a true reflection of the gap between the level of soccer in Southeast Asia, South Asia and Asia as a whole! Despite the fact that Vietnam has performed well over the years, both in the Asian Cup, the Asian Games and the U23 Asian Cup, the Vietnamese team has achieved relatively good results, but want to really be among the second-class in Asia, this first six rounds of the 12-team tournament has been enough to say the least.
In this situation, think back to the current Top 12 match against Vietnam before a variety of domestic "noise", desperately exaggerating the overall strength and level of the Vietnamese team, while constantly underestimating the national football team's own claims, I am afraid that it is more worthy of people's deep thought. Including now began to clamor the so-called "next year's New Year's Day away to Vietnam is a hurdle" and so on, to some extent, is the lack of self-confidence, unable to objectively evaluate the overall level of Chinese and Asian soccer specific embodiment of the level of soccer.
2. The distance from Europe is still enormous
The call for a "biennialization" of the World Cup has continued to grow after the full 12-team tournament has begun. From a commercial point of view, from the attraction and mobilization of more middle and lower level countries and regions in the development of soccer, this may be meaningful motion. But in terms of the level of competition, whether it is the expansion of the World Cup starting in 2026, or evolve into a two-year World Cup, the value and significance of the World Cup will be greatly depreciated.
One of the simplest facts is that Qatar, the hosts of the 2022 World Cup tournament, were involved in the first group of the European zone during the conduct of the 12-team tournament, during which they also played six matches with the following record:
2021.09.04 Qatar vs Portugal 1-3
2021.09.09 Luxembourg vs Qatar 1-1
2021.10.09 Portugal vs Qatar 3-0
2021.10.12 Ireland vs Qatar 4-0
2021.11.11 Serbia vs Qatar 4-0
2021.11.14 Azerbaijan vs Qatar 2-2
The Qataris have drawn two and lost four of their six matches, and have not won a single game. And this is still equivalent to the European teams accompany Qatar team "warm-up", is under little pressure to play the game. Qatar team as the Asian champions, to deliver such an answer sheet, to some extent, has clearly told us: Asia in addition to a few traditional first group of troops, basically there is no strength and capital to fight with the European teams.
Not only Qatar, other Asian teams that failed to qualify for the Top 12 also used the national team competition window to arrange a number of warm-up matches with European teams during the Top 12, with the approximate results as follows:
2021.09.04 Bosnia and Herzegovina vs Kuwait 1-0
2021.09.05 Sweden vs Uzbekistan 2-1
2021.11.11 Czech Republic vs. Kuwait 7-0
2021.11.15 Lithuania vs Kuwait 1-1
2021.11.15 Georgia vs Uzbekistan 1-0
2021.11.16 Kazakhstan vs Tajiks 1-0
2021.11.10 Kosovo vs Jordan 0-2
2021.11.16 Belarus vs Jordan 1-0
In the eight friendly matches, apart from Jordan's victory over world No. 113 Kosovo, only Kuwait drew with world No. 135 Lithuania, and the other six matches were all losses, even Kuwait lost to the Czech Republic from the former 0-7. The Czechs are now in the European qualifiers and still need to participate in the play-offs to determine whether they can get a ticket to the Qatar World Cup.
From the simple statistics above, I am afraid that the distance between Asian soccer and European soccer has not been substantially narrowed for decades. This is also why has been initiated to stay in the important reason, to the Australian team, for example, this time 12 strong in the tournament has not like the year Viduka, Cahill, Schwarzer and many other from the Premier League or the big names in the Big Five, but more from the European second-rate small ball clubs, but still in the first six rounds of the competition in the 12 strong there is an advantage, the reason I am afraid that is still in the European overall level of Asian soccer is higher than the level of two or three levels.
3. Normal reflection of the positioning of the national football points
From the point of view of our men's soccer team itself, the results and points of the first six matches of the 12-team tournament are also considered to be a normal reflection of the overall level of Chinese soccer and its position in the entire Asian soccer world. The inability to enter the World Cup should be said to have long been in most people's expectations, although this is not the same as from the outset to give up on the requirements to enter the World Cup, nor is it the same as denying the efforts of the Chinese soccer community now.
After the end of the 40 strong match in June this year, I believe that most fans have recognized such a statement, that is, China's men's football into the 12 strong match is a task that must be accomplished, but the World Cup line may not be, because this is more in line with China's men's football is now the real position of the. And in the whole process, a series of problems presented by the domestic football world have made the competitive level of Chinese soccer in a certain degree of decline, rely only on the national team to stop the slide is very impractical, and even to some extent is a kind of unreasonable demanding. Of course, this and try to fulfill the requirements to enter the World Cup, are two different levels of the problem.
As far as the first six matches of the Top 12 are concerned, on the whole, the normal level of play was normal, and all the points that should be taken were taken! Despite the twists and turns in the match against Vietnam, from a 2-0 lead to a 2-2 draw, it was a 3-2 shutout with no surprises. In the match against Australia, through the efforts of the whole team, the final 1-1 draw was made, and 1 point was snatched from the opponent. If the goal was not accomplished, I am afraid that the match against Oman should be able to get 3 points, but in the end, it was only a draw.
In the first round of matches against Australia, Japan and Saudi Arabia, China's men's soccer team lost all three matches, which is in fact a normal result, and can even be said to be the strength of the knot. Although there are some regrettable aspects of the game, especially the 2-3 loss to Saudi Arabia in Jeddah, which seems to be a pity, many people are making all kinds of assumptions, but soccer never believes in assumptions. A loss is a loss, and we need to be brave enough to face it and admit it first and foremost.
From another point of view, the 12 strong group draw, our team in Asia is ranked eighth, the overall level of Chinese soccer is now in Asia is between 8 to 10. Six rounds of matches played, our men's soccer team is now 5 points in the 12 strong tournament in addition to the group ranked fifth, the whole 12 strong is also ranked 8-9th. Unsurprisingly, by the time FIFA releases its latest rankings next week, our team will still be ranked eighth in Asia.
Therefore, no matter from which point of view, the national football team's points, ranking and overall level of embodiment and play, basically belong to the normal state. What's more, the World Cup such a competition, and not just a coach, more than 10 players on the field can be decided, but also the entire country's soccer system, soccer operations and management system, such as an all-round competition.
Comparison of the past, this time the outside world on the men's football expectations are higher, an important reason lies in the naturalized and naturalized players to participate in, due to the majority of people in the fantasy that these people can increase the weight of Chinese soccer into the World Cup. But the actual situation is the emergence of the Aixon people, and can not enhance the overall level of Chinese soccer, so that the Chinese soccer appeared to be a sudden change, just let the Chinese soccer to slow down the decline of the speed of just!
Chinese soccer is neither as optimistic as some people think, and certainly not as pessimistic as others think. This is the reality!
