China men's soccer team's trip to the Asian Cup
Passion departs, ambition remains: Chinese men fly to UAE to prepare for Asian Cup
On December 18th, the Chinese men's football team took off from Shanghai with expectations and embarked on a journey to the United Arab Emirates for a battle of glory in the Asian Cup!
At the airport, head coach Jankovic faced the media's cameras and appeared to be extra cautious, refusing to set any specific performance targets for the national soccer team and revealing his respect for his opponents in just a few words.
Jankovic emphasized, "The bravado before the match is meaningless, I won't exaggerate. Our opponents are not bad and the 23-man roster represents their strongest squad."
In the face of such a low-profile head coach, fans are inevitably a little upset. Although many media predicted that the Chinese men's soccer team's goal for the Asian Cup is the top eight, this goal seems to be objective, but failed to calm the anxiety in the hearts of fans.
Jankovic, while not daring to respond positively to the goal question, deftly dodged questions from reporters and fans on the sidelines. He said, "My players will give their best to win for their country. Just like in the last 36 games, we have kept our spirits up."
However, the reality is not optimistic. Many fans have lost confidence in the Chinese men's soccer team, and even no longer regard them as the national soccer team. In the eyes of the fans, the Chinese men's soccer team is in dire need of change, just like Chen Xuyuan of the Football Association. The lack of a youth training program and the annual reliance on veterans has ultimately led to a loss of fans.
Can the Chinese men's soccer team turn the tide and avoid a repeat of the tragedy on this Asian Cup trip?
The FA has not made a clear statement on this, and seems to have some confidence in the men's soccer team. According to the schedule, on January 13, 2024, the first match of the group stage of the Asian Cup will be staged: the Chinese men's football team will face the Tajikistan men's football team, and also have to face the two strong teams of Lebanon and Qatar.
