In the U20 National Football Championship, China's young team was defeated by South Korea in overtime, and regrettably ended up in the last eight and did not qualify for the World Youth Championship. However, the team's performance was a sight to behold and won the praises of countless Chinese fans. Now, we are more concerned about their future - will they continue to climb to the top, or will they be gradually forgotten?
Future Stars of Chinese Football after 2003
According to the age criteria of the U20 Asian Cup, the birth date of the participating players needs to be after January 1, 2003. In this U20 national soccer team, there are 11 players born in 2003 and 11 born in 2004, almost half each. And Peng Xiao, who was born in 2005, also joined the ranks.
These youngsters are only 20 years old though, with many of them being 19 and 18 years old, and the youngest is even only 17 years old. However, the toughness and tactical execution they show on the field undoubtedly transcends their age and makes people look forward to what's to come.
Of course, this team is not the strongest in the U20 age group. Talented players such as He Xiaoke, Liu Guobao, Liu Shao Ziyang and Jia Boyan failed to make the cut, but that doesn't mean they don't have a chance in the future.
However, we must realize that in the selection process of the U20 national soccer team, there are less than 500 talents to choose from, with no more than 50 of them being truly strong. Therefore, how to protect and develop these valuable seedlings has become a more important concern for us.
Two development paths
The age of 18 to 20 is a critical period in the development of professional players. Although they still look young, they must hurry up and not delay. This is because abroad and in Europe, many players in this age group have been able to play consistently in the league and even make the national team.
For these young stars, getting a foothold at a Chinese Super League club and getting more playing opportunities and workouts is one of the key ways to develop.
Around 10 of the 23-man squad for this year's U20 Asian Cup had featured in last season's Chinese Super League. Captain Efirdin was a key player for Guangzhou, making 15 starts and three assists in 23 CSL games. Mutalifu's outstanding performance was also not possible without the workout of 22 games, 14 starts and 3 goals in the Chinese Super League. He is also known as the Gemini star of Chengdu Chengdu. Baiheramu did not play in the Chinese Super League, but made five starts in six games in the AFC Champions League.
I believe that after their outstanding performance in the U20 Asian Cup, they will be given more opportunities in the new season of the Chinese Super League and become a major force in more music departments in the next two to three years to achieve steady progress and advancement towards a higher level of the national team.
Apart from the Chinese Super League, studying abroad is also a path to development. Although several highly regarded young players from overseas failed to win Antonio's favor, it must be acknowledged that studying abroad improves the knowledge and level of both young players and adult internationals, and is the only way for Chinese soccer to develop.
Li Hao, a brave goalkeeper, is about to join Atletico Madrid, and Efirdin has caught the attention of European teams. Players, including Mutalifu and Byhramu, who have the opportunity to study abroad, should also take this chance to be influenced and trained at a higher level of professional soccer.
With new and old in the National Football League, top students can skip a grade to make the team
After the U20 Asian Cup, Efirdin, Byhram and Hu will enter the Olympic team to prepare for the U23 Asian Cup and Olympic qualifiers. Jankovic, who became the national soccer coach, also emphasized the importance of replacing the old with the new, with more Olympic and Asian players coming into the national team in the future.
The U20's "top students" like Efeldin, Mutalifu, and Bayram, who have distinctive technical characteristics, could be given a bolder boost. Taking advantage of the critical upward phase of their careers, they will be recruited to the adult national team earlier, see more of the world, and bring more challenges and competition to their big brothers.
At the end of the day, I just hope that these young players thrive and keep popping up in the future instead of disappearing like so many of their predecessors!
