At this critical moment on November 16th, the Chinese national soccer team will face Thailand, the first round opponent of the Asian 36-team tournament, on the road. For this team, this battle can not be lost. Once lost, the national soccer team is likely to lose the World Cup once again, although the Asian quota has increased to 8.5.
As we all know, South Korea, Thailand as well as Singapore are the opponents of the national soccer team in this group. In terms of overall strength, Singapore is clearly the weakest, while South Korea will undoubtedly be the frontrunner in the group. As for the national soccer team, they will have to compete with Thailand for the second place in the group.
Thailand has morphed from a weak team in our eyes to a dark horse in the World Cup, completely changing the pattern of the previous Asian World Cup. Despite the fact that in the 20-year history of China-Thailand encounters, the national team has the upper hand with a record of 17 wins, 5 draws and 4 losses, the 1-5 defeat in Hefei is still fresh in our minds.
The recent warm-up matches of the national soccer team have also exposed some problems. Facing a relatively weak Vietnamese team, the national soccer team's disadvantage on the field was obvious. Although they eventually won 2-0, the opponents had as many as 10 Olympic players. Therefore, facing the Thai team, the national football team's chances of winning are not high.
Facing such a situation, Coach Jankovic also looks very pragmatic. According to Guangzhou Daily, the minimum goal of the national soccer team against Thailand is to get 1 point. In this training, Yankovic did not ask the team to attack, but to 3 center back or 5 back counterattack tactics. This shows that he has a clear understanding of the gap between the strength of the two teams.
However, if the national football team gives up its offense, it will undoubtedly lose the initiative of the game. Thai players have a unique style, quick movements and exquisite techniques. If the national football team keeps on defending, it is obvious that they cannot organize an effective attack. In this case, the team can only hope for Wu Lei's performance. After all, Wu Lei, who returned to the Chinese Super League from La Liga last year, ushered in the second spring of his career, not only helping Shanghai Seaport win the Chinese Super League title, but also almost becoming the Golden Boot of the Chinese Super League this season. If Wu Lei can score in the match, it will also set a new record for his goals in the preseason.
Of course, the national soccer team is not without advantages. Currently the national soccer team is ranked 79th in the world, 33 places higher than Thailand. Considering the disadvantage of playing on the road and the fatigue of the players who have just finished the league, it is a pragmatic choice to get a point on the road and beat Thailand at home.
