In the just announced Qatar Asian Cup grouping draw, the Chinese national team is unfortunately divided with the host Qatar in the same group, the same group of opponents also includes Tajikistan and Lebanon. Although Qatar's strength and ranking are dominant, the remaining two teams do not seem strong, but given the current situation of the national football team, the victory is not a nail in the coffin. The strength and ranking of the national football team continues to decline, there are teams to catch up, some teams are also narrowing the gap.
Southeast Asian soccer has long been considered on the fringes of Asian soccer, but in recent years the region has seen a renaissance. Vietnam and Thailand have exchanged victories and defeats against the national soccer team, and teams such as Indonesia are steadily improving. Not long ago, the Southeast Asian soccer giant came to a halt when Vietnam U22 was reversed 3-2 by Indonesia U22 in the semifinals of the East Games soccer tournament. Indonesia showed a fantastic start in the 10th minute of the match before Vietnam equalized in the 35th minute. In the second half, Vietnam equalized again after an Indonesian goal, but in the end, Indonesia, playing with one man less, was able to beat Vietnam in the final stages to advance to the final. The rapid rise of Indonesian soccer is no coincidence, and although it has yet to fully overtake Vietnam, it has become a force to be reckoned with. Vietnam has overtaken Thailand to become the highest ranked team in Southeast Asia, but still needs to maintain its edge if it is to become a leader. Recently, Vietnamese soccer has struggled to become the dominant force in Southeast Asia due to consecutive setbacks. Indonesian soccer is in a period of rapid development, while Vietnam seems to be in a bottleneck. Fans have witnessed the change, with the rapid growth of their rivals contrasting with the decline of national soccer. If the national soccer team is not developing well, being overtaken by Indonesia is not a self-depreciation. Fans have lamented the growing strength of the opponents facing the national soccer team. In the past, Southeast Asian teams were often contributors to the national soccer team's scoring, and in the future, the competition between the national soccer team and Vietnam, Thailand, and even Indonesia may become more and more intense. What is most worrying is that the young players of Vietnam and Indonesia, including the U22s and younger players in this tournament, are overflowing with youthfulness and strong ambitions, and their desire for young Chinese players is even more urgent. Young players may acquire bad habits by spending time with senior players in the team. The deterioration of the domestic soccer environment has caused the sharpness and vigor of young players to gradually disappear, which can't help but make people worry about the future of the national soccer team.
