With the second match against New Zealand coming up on March 26, the new coach of the national soccer team, Jankovic, is full of confidence, thanks to the 0-0 draw in the first match between the two teams. The team is expected to go further, we will improve on speed and intensity control and solve the problems exposed in the first match," he said with anticipation. The goals will eventually come, the goalmouth tackling will be more efficient and I'm pleased with the running of the front players." However, while the goals arrived, the victory belonged to the visitors, and the 1-2 scoreline cast a shadow over Jankovic's confidence.
Where exactly does the problem lie? On the surface, the lack of overall strength is the primary factor. Although the Chinese men's soccer team is ranked higher than New Zealand in the world, the actual strength comparison is not optimistic. There are 22 players in the New Zealand team who play in overseas leagues, including many players in the top leagues of the English Premier League and Serie A. For example, striker Chris Wood is playing in the English Premier League's Norwich City. For example, striker Chris Wood plays for Nottingham Forest in the English Premier League, and defender Cacace plays for Empoli in Serie A.
In the first match, the national soccer team had just over 30% possession in the first half. In the first 45 minutes, New Zealand had eight shots on goal, while the Chinese soccer team had only four. In the 62nd minute, Wu Lei's individual ability forced the New Zealand captain to commit a foul and receive a red card, and China's situation improved slightly. However, New Zealand still dominated yesterday's match, with 60 percent of the ball in their possession and twice as many shots on goal as the Chinese team.
As a new coach, Jankovic didn't show significant strengths in these two matches. There seemed to be mistakes in the tactical arrangement and on-site command in the first match, while he seemed to be too impatient in the second match. Before the national football team traveled to New Zealand, there was news that the national football team and the Asian Games team might use each other's players, is this news true? In the first match, Zhu Chenjie of the Asian Games team became the first center back of the national football team, while in the second match, Wu Shaocong replaced Wei Zhen as the center back.
Jankovic made two changes to the starting lineup, with Deng Hanwen replacing Liu Binbin and Chen Pu, while Tan Long was substituted. It is worth noting that these two substitutes performed well in the first match and brought changes to the team's offense. For example, Wu Lei's shot from inside the penalty area in the 20th minute and Chen Pu's brilliant pick-and-roll. In the second half, Chen Pu and Wu Xinghan were replaced, a decision that left them feeling ironic.
Jankovic spoke highly of the team's trip to New Zealand: "The players performed well in terms of physical fitness and intensity of the game, and their will to fight until the last moment without giving up even when they fell behind deserves recognition. I believe the team will continue to improve in the future." His words inspired the players and boosted the team's morale to a certain extent. However, as a new head coach, he was questioned at the beginning of his tenure due to his lack of experience in coaching adult teams, and the one draw and one loss record undoubtedly increased the pressure on him.
