The performance of the Chinese national team (hereinafter referred to as the "national football team") in a friendly match against Vietnam aroused widespread concern. Tan Long's header that hit the crossbar was the only highlight of the first half. The buzz on the internet once again focused on the collective performance of the national team. Sports reporter Li Xuan couldn't help but question, "Has Vietnam turned into Barcelona in front of us?"
Coach Aleksandar Jankovic has been under immense pressure in the recent past as the national football team's record has been underwhelming. in September, the national football team drew 1-1 with 54th-ranked Malaysia in two friendlies against relatively lower-ranked teams and followed that up with a 0-1 defeat against 13th-ranked Syria.
Entering October, the national soccer team has faced Vietnam and Uzbekistan. Currently, Vietnam is ranked 95th in the world, 15 places below China. However, the team that was once considered the underdogs has made significant progress in recent years. Last year, they beat China in a World Cup qualifier, giving the national soccer team another chance to qualify for the World Cup.In 2013, famed player Fan Zhiyi joked, "If you keep going like this, you'll lose to Vietnam!" The remark was dug up and became a so-called "God's prophecy".
For this match, the national soccer team adopted a 3-4-3 formation. Wu Lei and Xie Pengfei partnered with the strikers, Tan Long, who just made a big splash at the Asian Games, started the match, while Dai Weijun was on the bench. In the first half, Tan Long's header hit the goal post, Wu Lei missed a good opportunity for a single shot, and the national football team drew 0-0 with Vietnam.
Sports reporter Li Xuan said, "Has Vietnam turned into Barcelona in front of us?" Sports blogger Chen Yong, on the other hand, thought, "The national soccer team was forced to rob many times, which is actually a 'formal robbing' and lack of offense." After watching the first half, many sports journalists and fans have said: "I thought we were playing with Japan ......" Another sports blogger "patriotic soccer university Mr. Wei" is more Another sports blogger, "Mr. Wei of the Patriotic Football University," even harshly criticized: "We can't see any tactics, and we don't have any strong points." Criticisms on microblogs and online discussion forums have created a picture of collective derision.
Faced with a different performance from his national team, Aleksandar Jankovic made a change at half-time, replacing Dai Weijun and Wang Qiuming. The changes paid off quickly as Liu Yang crossed from the left in the 56th minute and substitute Wang Qiuming grabbed the first goal for the national team from the penalty spot.
At the end of the match, Nguyen Chin Ling and Chiang Quang Tai clashed. After a VAR check, the referee showed a red card to Nguyen Chin Ling and sent him off in the 86th minute. The national team played with 10 men and in extra time, Wu Lei received a header from Jiang Guangtai's second pass, but it was ruled out for offside. In the eighth minute of extra time, Wu Lei's solo effort helped the national team beat Vietnam 2-0, despite his loss last year. The result may temporarily ease the pressure on Aleksandar Jankovic to "step down".
Although the national football team won the game, but the process of hardship can not be avoided, Huang Jianxiang believe that this is the heart of many fans: "win is good, can not ask for more."
