In the late afternoon of August 9, a tense and exciting warm-up match was quietly staged amidst the countdown to the China-Japan-South Korea Youth Games soccer tournament. China's U18 men's soccer team, preparing for the 31st edition of the tournament, which will be held in Wakayama, Japan, from Aug. 24 to 28, battled with domestic champion team Langfang Glory City, and ultimately came out on top with a 2-0 victory, according to North Youth Sports.
Back on July 24, 2005, China's U18 men's soccer team assembled at the Beijing Sport University and started a month-long systematic preparation. Of the 25 players participating in the tournament, all were present except for one substitute goalkeeper who was absent. The head of the team's Chinese coaching staff, former international star Shao Jiayi, motivated the team by saying, "This is a rare opportunity, and we want every player to give full play."
It is worth mentioning that about half of the players in this U18 national football training team had represented the country in the U17 Asian Cup held in Chonburi, Thailand in June this year. Although a few players, such as Wang Yudong, were not able to join for club reasons, most of the players have been put into the training of the U18 national soccer team.
Faced with the arduous task of preparation and tight schedule, the U18 national football team has been training hard while actively looking for suitable opponents to warm up. Not long ago, their warm-up match with Guoan U21 team ended in a 2-2 draw, a match that undoubtedly provided the team with valuable real-world experience.
