With the footsteps of the U23 Asian preliminaries approaching, the national Olympic team's preparation rhythm has also entered a decisive sprint period. With the U22 international players as the base, under the careful coaching of Cheng Yaodong, the players have devoted themselves to the preparation for the Olympic Games. They traveled all over Croatia, not only completed two training sessions, but also participated in the local low-level league and played against the top team in Belgium. All these efforts have improved the tactical system of the team, and the strength and confidence of the players have increased simultaneously.
However, all the preparations are for the upcoming U23 Asian Cup qualifier. This is not only an Olympic qualifier, but also an Olympic berth, so the Chinese team is shouldering a heavy responsibility. After layers of selection, Cheng Yaodong coaching staff finalized the 25-player list, and on August 17, announced to the public. Tao Qianglong, Abdul Meat Suli, Liu Zhu Run and other strength players stand out, including Guangzhou's Aifeldin is also listed. The strength of the national Olympic team is the strongest in the last five years.
Looking at the source of the players, 25 players came from 12 clubs, of which the Chinese Super League teams accounted for the majority, with Shenhua alone accounting for 5, and Taishan, Harbor, and Dalian each having 3 players. It is worth mentioning that even the relegation team Dalian can contribute 3 players, which shows the richness of the talent pool. The teams of Sanzhen, Guoan and Rongcheng also have two players each. Zhejiang, Henan, Guangzhou, Suzhou, Dongwu and Nanjing all had players selected.
What's even more staggering is that Bie Jiang, who once played as a starter for Guoan, also made the list. The former national team captain, who was a favorite for the Golden Boy Award, was a star performer for Guoan and even scored goals. However, 22-year-old Nai Biejang was disappointed that he failed to make the coaching staff's list, the reason for which was not disclosed by the coaching staff.
According to the schedule, the national Olympic team will kick off their Olympic qualifying campaign on September 6, where they will face opponents such as the UAE, India and Maldives. At the end of the group stage, the first place of the 11 groups and the second place of the four best results will advance to the final round. China's main opponent is undoubtedly the UAE. Although their opponents are not bad, China has the advantage of home field and the possibility of victory should not be underestimated.
