The Chinese Football Association (CFA) went through a great deal of consideration when preparing for the warm-up matches, in order to avoid incurring the wrath of the fans due to the loss of the Chinese men's soccer team, which would put a heavy psychological pressure on the team preparing for the World Qualification Tournament. After much deliberation, the federation finally picked an opponent that our national soccer team has not lost to in the past 43 years.
An unbeaten record of 43 years seems like a breeze in the eyes of the CFA. Malaysia is also different from Myanmar and Pakistan, which had been criticized by fans for their smaller size. This time around, the opponents chosen by the CFA will undoubtedly be a tough test for our soccer team.
Although the Chinese men's soccer team dominated the home field, no one expected that the strength of our soccer team with naturalized players was not what it used to be. The match ended in a draw, and although the Chinese men's soccer team was undefeated, their 43-year unbeaten streak came to an end. It was the first time in 43 years that we failed to beat Malaysia, and the glory of the old national soccer team was diminished.
Facing Malaysia, the Chinese men's soccer team set the worst record. So why did the Chinese men's soccer team get into such an embarrassing situation? Perhaps, we can find the answer from the goalkeeper Yan Junling's mistake.
Yan Junling's performance has been questioned by the media and fans for a long time. Some media even said that they would rather have Wang Dalei on offense than see someone backing off. Despite the accusations, Yan Chunling remained as the starting goalkeeper.
In the match against Malaysia, Yan Junling's hesitation in her position gave the opponent's No. 7 player plenty of space to shoot. The opposing player broke the goal easily. If Yan Junling had moved forward decisively, the result might have been different.
However, that wasn't the most galling error by Yen Chun-Ling. As the defender passed the ball back to Yen, he tried to stop the ball without defense. As a result, the ball went straight through his feet. The mistake left the commentators gasping in horror, and the announcer immediately switched the camera to show substitute goalkeeper Wang Dalei. Wang Dalei hides his face, perhaps pondering why such a player should be subbed in.
Skill is not good, mentality is not stable, can such players help the national football team to win the game? And players with better skills and more stable mentality can't play. Such a coach with people, the national football team can get out of the trough? Let's wait and see.
