At the start of the National Day holiday, our men's soccer team is in full swing in the United Arab Emirates, where they are gearing up for the upcoming third round of the 12-team tournament. At this critical moment, the AFC has come up with a piece of exciting news: the match between the national football team and Vietnam, which was originally scheduled for October 7 at 7:00 p.m. local time (11:00 p.m. Beijing time), will be postponed for two hours. This is undoubtedly a huge plus for the national soccer team, which is not good at playing in hot weather.
However, in reviewing the previous performance of the national football team and the difficult path to the World Cup, as well as the strength of the Vietnamese team and the game in the early hours of October 8 at a special point in time, the burden on the shoulders of the national football team does not seem to be the slightest bit less because of the delay in the game.
The outstanding performance in the 40-team stage had once made domestic fans and media full of confidence in the national football team to enter the World Cup, but the consecutive failure to beat Australia and Japan in the 12-team match has made the national football team's prospects for the line become bleak. With two losses, zero points, and a ranking at the bottom of the group, and a six-point difference between the top two teams, Australia and Saudi Arabia, the domestic media have predicted that the best result for the national football team may only be the third place in the group, competing for half of the World Cup ticket.
Facing Vietnam, who also lost both matches, this is recognized as the weakest and lowest ranked opponent in Group B (95th), our men's football team has come to a life-and-death battle. If they can't win again, even if they draw, the hope of getting out of the tournament may only be a distant theoretical possibility.
On the first day of the National Day holiday, the national football team, far away from the United Arab Emirates, is still adjusting its lineup and tactics for the Top 12 match with every second counting. The AFC's official announcement that the match, originally scheduled for Oct. 7 at 7 p.m. local time, has been postponed by two hours. For the national soccer team, which is not good at playing in the heat, this is undoubtedly a small blessing. However, considering the current situation of the national football team and the pressure to get out of the competition, the strength of the Vietnamese team and the special timing of the match in the early hours of October 8, the pressure on the national football team does not seem to have changed much because of the adjustment of the match time.
The strong performance in the 40-team stage made fans once saw the hope of the national soccer team to enter the World Cup, but the consecutive losses in the 12-team tournament has made the prospect of qualifying not optimistic. With two defeats, bottom of the table, and a six-point gap with the top two teams in the group, the National Football League's road to promotion looks extremely difficult. Facing the not-so-strong Vietnam team, the national soccer team has already stood on the edge of the cliff with their backs against the wall. If you can't win this crucial battle, even if it's a draw, your chances of getting out of the tournament may be null and void.
