Although the Chinese women's soccer team failed to meet expectations at the Asian Games, they urgently need to let go of their past regrets as a more crucial challenge - the Olympic qualifiers - is about to unfold. In the upcoming second phase, the Chinese women's soccer team will face even more difficult challenges. On the one hand, the competitive level of the Olympic Games is much higher than that of the Asian Games, and all participating teams attach great importance to winning. On the other hand, the Asian mid-tier teams, such as South Korea and North Korea, are the rivals that constitute the "Group of Death" for the Chinese women's soccer team. Even at home, the Chinese women's soccer team is difficult to guarantee victory.
In the midst of back-to-back heated battles, the Shui Qingxia coaching team is desperate to prove themselves, and the Olympic qualifiers are seen as the perfect opportunity to do so. At the very least, they needed to make it to the third stage or face an uncertain future. As a result, Shui Qingxia's team has made positive adjustments and the selection list for the new phase has undergone a sea change. According to insiders, Shui Qingxia increased the proportion of international study abroad players this time. During the Asian Games, she recruited six study abroad international players such as Zhang Linyan, Wang Frost, Wu Chengshu, Li Mengwen, Shen Mengyu, and Uri Gumura.
From the actual performance, these international players play a key role, but individual players play is not ideal. For example, Shen Mengyu in the Celtic women's soccer team is the absolute main force, but also the team's "rhythm master". However, in the national team games, she can only serve as a substitute, failed to play a full role. Shui Qingxia's past style has always been so, lack of flexible lineup configuration. But this time, she finally made adjustments. In addition to the six international players mentioned above, Shen Menglu, who has performed well in the Celtic women's soccer team, has also attracted a lot of attention. She helped the team win the cup last season and helped the team stay at the top of the table this season. Making it to the national team is a natural fit for her.
Another new international player is 24-year-old Tu Linley. She grew up in the Icelandic Women's Super League and gained experience in the second tier. She then moved to Keflavik and spent the summer window on loan at Brezabrik, where she helped the team to a runner-up finish. At 1.75 meters tall, Tu Linli has excellent physical qualities and is a rare center forward.
Tu Linli's selection to the national team this time will bring more possibilities for Shui Qingxia's game strategy. Both players are highly anticipated and seen as having the potential to become the mainstay of the national team. Currently, the Chinese women's national team is actively preparing for the tournament with only 18 players in the squad. After the other 8 players who are playing overseas return to the team, the Chinese women's soccer team will embark on a new journey in the Olympic qualifiers.
