As the national football team enters its second international fixture point, the team will welcome a battle of honor against Syria at Phoenix Hill in Chengdu. Some may question whether this is not just a friendly match for honor. However, looking back at the recent 1-1 draw between the national soccer team and Malaysia at home, the team's mental outlook and technical and tactical performance during the match was not up to standard. Especially in the key moment of injury time, the players did not seize the opportunity to attack, but in the backfield in a mess on the ground, which is undoubtedly a shameful match, so the next match with Syria will undoubtedly be a battle to defend the honor.
Even though days have passed since that match against Malaysia, the anger of the fans and the media over the poor performance of the national football team is still high, and the criticism of the team has reached an unprecedented level. Thankfully, the emergence of the men's basketball and women's soccer teams somewhat relieved some of the pressure, and with head coach Jankovic taking the initiative to take responsibility after the game, the situation did not reach extremes. While it is difficult to change the tactical arrangements of the coach and the individual abilities of the players, the team's mental outlook is indeed unacceptable. As Jankovic said before the game, we should have a sense of honor as international players, but obviously we did not do that.
Although the match against Malaysia was not all bad, with Lin Liangming and Xie Pengfei putting in some solid performances, it was Li Shuai who really caught the eye. Li Shuai was rushed to the hospital for treatment after suffering two header injuries during the match, the last of which caused him to lose consciousness in the air. Fortunately, Li Shuai only suffered a slight concussion, but had serious dental problems, seven of which were broken. In order not to affect the normal life, the doctor recommended to extract the damaged teeth. Considering the follow-up treatment and rest, Li Shuai will return to Shanghai to receive treatment. Due to the serious damage to his teeth, Li Shuai may need surgery, and the national team will also initiate follow-up aftercare work, including player insurance. The surgery may allow him to recuperate for a longer period of time, and even if he returns to the field, he may need to wear protective gear. As to whether the follow-up will affect his daily life, speech or even appearance, there is no conclusion yet, and he may even need plastic surgery to ensure aesthetics.
In this match, Li Shuai was one of the few players who gave his all. He fell to the ground when he first scrambled for a header and landed directly on his face, resulting in an injury to half of his face. Subsequently, the headbutt was more of a concern. Fans were left with a heavy heart as Lee lost consciousness in the air, with other players surrounding him, as an ambulance rolled into the stadium. Fortunately, the examination results showed that Li Shuai was not seriously injured. We sincerely hope he will recover soon and return to the field.
