In a heated battle between China and South Korea at U15 level, the two sides drew 1-1 with South Korea after 95 minutes of hard-fought action in the fifth round of Group A of the 2023 East Asian Football Federation U15 Boys' Soccer Championships, with South Korea ultimately coming in second in Group A on goal difference while China U15 managed to top the table. This crucial victory was due to the excellent performance of Evergrande Soccer School (
The U15 East Asian Cup is divided into two groups, with the top team in each group advancing to the semifinals. Japan came out on top in Group B, placing first, followed by Chinese Taipei in second. As a result, the semifinal matchups will be: China U15 vs. Chinese Taipei U15 and Japan U15 vs. Korea U15.
We must commend the young players and the coaching team of these U15 national teams in this fierce competition. Not only did they finish first in their group, but they also allowed their team to successfully avoid a tough opponent like Japan. In the semi-finals, the lack of strong opponents was almost tantamount to locking up a place in the final in advance.
This U15 National Junior Team was formed by Evergrande Soccer School on an ad hoc basis, bringing together elite players from Luneng Soccer School and others, and is led by Masaki Nakamura, the Japanese coach of Evergrande Soccer School. In this game, for example, eight of the starting eleven were from Evergrande Soccer School, as were the previous games.
Many fans wondered if this was the strongest lineup for the U15 National Junior League. The answer is obviously no. This is because tournaments like the U15 National Junior Championship do not require a nationwide selection process. Usually, the strongest team in the country is paired with top players to achieve better results.
First of all, most of the players come from Evergrande Soccer School, and the degree of tacit understanding is far better than that of other teams. In supplementing the players of other teams, the main purpose is to make up for the shortcomings of the players of Evergrande Soccer School. This way of team formation not only avoids the confusion of temporary formation, but also improves the technical and tactical level of Evergrande's team.
In addition, the U15 national team's advancement to the first place in the group also has far-reaching significance. In the past, Chinese soccer has often been eliminated early when they finish second in the group against a tough opponent. Now, we've given South Korea a taste of that, and we're watching with a relaxed mindset in the face of a fierce clash with Japan. It's rare for Chinese soccer to be so calm.
Due to the technical characteristics and immature physical development of the U15 players, there is a high degree of uncertainty in these matches. Even though we can top the group at the moment, it doesn't mean that the 15 year olds will still be able to perform as well as they did against South Korea a few years from now. But at least for now, 15-year-old Chinese soccer is not inferior to South Korea. This brings a glimmer of hope for Chinese soccer and strengthens our confidence and patience to continue our youth training.
