Currently, the warm-up matches for our renowned soccer teams are in full swing. In March, the national team and the Asian Games team will play side by side against the New Zealand national team and the New Zealand U22 national team respectively. Despite the unsatisfactory results, the matches will at least help us to identify our shortcomings and improve our offensive and defensive strengths with precision. In addition, the March tournament also marks the restart of the warm-up cycle, especially for the national team. Although the national team has yet to announce its schedule, the itinerary of its opponents has already been revealed and they are anxiously awaiting the matches.
This June, the national team's opponent will be the Palestinian team. At the same time, there has been speculation about whether the Asian Games will continue to train in tandem with the national team. After all, Jankovic and Djurdjevic were old acquaintances, and the national team and the Asian Games team have overlapping players, so a joint warm-up is not far-fetched. In reality, however, the national team's warm-up matches are aimed at finding weaker opponents, accumulating technical advantages through victories, and improving world rankings for better tournament positions. In contrast, the task of preparing for the Asian Games is more daunting, as the Games are getting closer and stronger opponents need to be sought out in an effort to fine-tune their pre-tournament form.
As a result, the Asian Games will not choose the Palestinian U22 team, but will try their best to arrange a confrontation with a strong Asian team. According to inside sources, the Asian Games will play two warm-up matches against South Korea in June. South Korea was the champion of the Asian Games in 2014 and 2018, and its strength should not be underestimated. This Asian Games also has the strength to win the championship. It is worth noting that both teams are dominated by players in the 1999 age group, while Japan is dominated by players in the 2001 age group, as are Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan. Therefore, a warm-up match against South Korea is more valuable for the Asian Games. South Korea's world ranking is 78 places higher than New Zealand's.
As we all know, South Korea has won the Asian Games twice. If the Chinese team can get a draw or win in the warm-up matches, it will be a great confidence booster as China, as the host, aims to at least make it to the top eight and try to secure a spot in the quarterfinals. It is quite difficult, but with good preparation, it is not without a chance.
In addition, Djurdjevic has not been coaching the national team for a long time, and participating in warm-up matches will help him to better understand the opponents and continuously evaluate the players' performance. Considering the differences in tactics between Djurdjevic and Jankovic, it is important to choose players that fit into your tactical system as much as possible in order to get twice the result with half the effort.
