With the night drawing low, the Chinese men's soccer team will have their final match before the 2026 World Cup Asian qualifiers against Uzbekistan next week evening Beijing time. This evening, national team coaches Yang Kovic and Zhu Chenjie attended a pre-match media conference.
Following a 1-1 draw with Malaysia and a 0-1 defeat against Syria in their last match, the national soccer team regained their winning momentum by defeating Vietnam 2-0 in their recent warm-up match, which undoubtedly increased the pressure on coach Yankovic. However, the team still needs to cherish this good warm-up opportunity against Uzbekistan. Imagine the match against Vietnam as if it were a rehearsal for the 36-team tournament against Thailand, while tomorrow night's match against Uzbekistan is like a simulated home game against South Korea.
During the press conference, Jankovic revealed that the team after the victory is much smoother in delivering tactical messages and the players are absorbing the positive atmosphere at a significantly higher rate. At the same time, the team needs to strengthen its defense and rehearse its offensive strategy, and tomorrow night's match against Uzbekistan will be a crucial moment to test the strategy.
Since Jankovic took over the national team, the team has started to frequently use the three center defense system. Jankovic emphasized that no team in the world football world will stick to a single formation, the key lies in how the team can balance the two defensive systems and deploy them flexibly.
"In modern soccer, no team employs only one formation, at least two. It is more common to switch formations in the same game. We prepared two formations with fixed fits for both offense and defense. I am pleased with the players' ability to accept and learn quickly. Whether we go with three or four defenders will depend on the match."
Zhu Chenjie made an appearance at the press conference, signaling that he will start tomorrow night's game. In a subsequent interview, Zhu Chenjie said he is in good physical condition and has been training on defense according to his coach's requirements, and is looking forward to playing well in the game.
"After several days of hard training, we are ready for the game and look forward to showing our tactical intent under the guidance of our coaches to spice up this game. We are focused on improving our defensive skills and tactics to adapt to the physical advantages of different opponents. After recovery, I think the physical condition is up to standard and will give my best."
According to the plan, this will be the last warm-up match for the national football team before the 2026 FIFA World Cup Asian qualifiers, and also the point where there is only one month left before the 36-team tournament. Considering the unfavorable draw, which put them in the same group as Thailand, South Korea, and Singapore/Guam, the national football team faces a rather tight remaining month.
Today, the location of the national football team's November training site and the site of the first qualifier home has also been basically determined. According to media reports, the CFA has basically decided to use Shenzhen as the venue for the last 36 home matches due to the gap of only five days between the away match against Thailand (November 16th) and the home match against South Korea (November 21st).
Given the ease of transportation, the national football team will return to Shenzhen on the 17th at the earliest after the match against Thailand on the 16th to quickly get into the second round of home matches against South Korea. In addition, given the similar climatic conditions in Shenzhen and Bangkok, the training environment in Shenzhen will help the team prepare for the match against Thailand.
It is reported that the parties have reached a preliminary consensus on cooperation in organizing the match. The Shenzhen Football Association has been positive about hosting the first home game of the 36-team national football team, making the Shenzhen Universiade Center Stadium the preferred venue for the China-Korea match.
Time flies, only one month left, the national football team is about to embark on the journey to the 2026 World Cup! So let's wait and see if the national soccer team can show their momentum and continue their winning momentum in tomorrow night's match against Uzbekistan.
