The Chinese men's soccer team has been fruitful in nurturing young talents, especially in 2003 and 2004, when a number of promising new stars emerged. In this year's U20 Asian Cup, these young players drew 1-1 with South Korea in the regular season and swept Saudi Arabia 2-0 in the group stage, showing a strength that should not be underestimated. This year's tournament was another feast for the youth, with 46 teams in the U19 group, more than 180 teams in the U17 group, and 96 teams in each of the U13 and U15 groups making it to the finals. As you can see, the number of teams in the tournament is climbing year by year, and the development of Chinese soccer is gaining momentum.
Looking ahead, when will Chinese soccer be able to recreate the style of the 1985 Golden Generation? The answer is three years from now, and the outlook is bright. Looking back to 1985, the team under the leadership of Coach Zhang Zhicheng, Gao Hongbo, Li Hui and other key players played heroically, not only broke into the World Youth Championship, but also beat the United Arab Emirates, Thailand and Saudi Arabia with scores of 1-0, 2-1 and 2-2, which was a stunning performance.
The Saudi men's soccer team has always been a powerhouse in Asia, both at the national and youth levels. Using Saudi Arabia as a benchmark, Antonio and Shao Jia beat them 2-0 in the group stage of the March 2023 Asian Youth Championship. Although they lost against Japan, some of the penalties in the match were controversial. In the knockout match against South Korea, the two teams drew 1-1 in regulation time, with South Korea still relying on penalties for their goal, which we would not have lost.
The 03 and 04 age group players who participated in March this year did not qualify for the World Youth Championships, but their strength has been among the top in Asia. Although this generation of players has not achieved significant results for the time being, they have stockpiled strength for Chinese soccer in the next intercontinental tournament. In the future, they will play a key role in every game when they grow up to be national team players with unlimited potential.
For example, after the U20 Asian Cup, players such as Efirdin and Li Hao have been actively studying abroad. Many players, such as Mutalipu and Hu Huotao, have been selected to be the main players of the U22 National Olympic Team. This fully proves the potential of the young generation. It is worth mentioning that in 2004 and 2006, the team advanced to the Asian Junior Championships for two consecutive years, while players in the 03 and 04 age groups even broke into the Asian Youth Championships, and this generation of players has clearly surpassed the players in the 01 and 99 age groups.
Compared to the 03 age group, the 06 age group has a significantly higher population base of good rescues and the 2004 players are even better. Although the 2006 age group did not perform well in this year's Asian Junior Championships, they showed great potential for development with a 1-1 draw against Tajikistan and three goals against Australia. In particular, Hu Huotao's outstanding performance in the Chinese Super League proved that the young players' training in Chengdu Rongcheng is effective.
The 1985 Golden Generation beat England 2-0 and Paraguay 2-1 at the World Junior Championships, and although they ended up in the quarterfinals with a 1-3 loss to Mexico, their performance was enough to go down in history. The current young generation has not reached that height, but by playing against Asian powerhouses such as Saudi Arabia and South Korea, they have shown a level comparable to that of the golden generation of '85. Three years later, 03, 2004 players will certainly shine in the national team, Chinese soccer is expected to achieve a comprehensive renewal, back to the first class in Asia.
