In the afterglow of the setting sun in Doha, the Chinese team quietly embarked on their way to the Khalifa Stadium at 5:30 p.m. dusk on Sept. 5 for an early ground acclimatization training session. The tightly-contested Asian Qualifying 12 match between China and Japan will kick off at 6 p.m. on the evening of Sept. 7th. Even though the match will be played in a foreign country, it should be considered China's home ground based on its geographical location. Although fans will not be able to attend the game, the stands at the Khalifa Stadium have been decorated with brightly colored five-star red flags, creating a strong atmosphere for the game.
Following the rules of the AFC, each team can only have one opportunity to acclimatize to the venue before the match. Therefore, the Chinese team's training on the 6th will be transferred to Qatar University. However, before the start of the official training, head coach Li Tie will attend the pre-match press conference with one of his players, which will open at 5:40 p.m. local time in Doha.
Considering the interests of the host team, the air-conditioning was deliberately switched on at the Khalifa Stadium to facilitate the preparation of the national football team despite the fact that the training was a day earlier. However, according to reports from reporters on the ground, the temperature at the stadium was not as pleasant as it was during the last official match, which was around 30 degrees.
During the 15-minute public training session, the national soccer team only conducted simple warm-up activities and did not conduct tactical drills, and the players seemed to be in a relaxed mood. Alan and Luo Guofu were also smiling when they were interviewed by the camera and took the initiative to wave to the media.
With the end of the open training, the focus of today's national football training may turn to technical and tactical exercises. It is reported that Coach Li Tie will take advantage of the early adaptation to the field, focusing on practicing positioning ball tactics. As for the lineup and tactical arrangements, the national football team is not expected to have much change. But from the recent training situation analysis, Li Tie may arrange a blocking midfielder to replace Zhang Xizhe's position, in order to reduce the pressure of Wu Xi's defense.
