On January 6, the u-17 national men's football team's first assembly in the New Year has entered its third day. Yang Chen coached the youth team after the last time here to prepare for the U-17 Asian Cup preliminaries, once again set foot on this Yuxi plateau soccer training base, aimed at the finals to build up their strength and select the elite. At an altitude of 1,700 meters, the team has set a new goal, and the training specifications have also been raised - even warm-ups and basic technical training must follow the standards of the actual game.
Thailand is set to host the U-17 Asian Cup in June, and although the group draw has not yet taken place, the teams are going all out to be in top form. In the face of various opponents, adaptive training has become a common strategy for all participating teams. Based on the overall tactic of "quick conversion", our national junior team has made full use of the existing resources, recruited a wide range of newcomers, strengthened the defense, and optimized the offensive system at the same time.
Despite having a 40-man training roster, nearly half of the players are still recovering. After the military training in the morning, only 22 participated in the two-hour practical training in the afternoon, while the rest of the players returned to the hotel to recuperate by jogging and stretching. Prior to the training, the players performed a 20-minute aerobic speed-limit run.
During the warm-up session, the pace of the team with new and old players was slightly uneven, and the coaching staff immediately stepped in to make adjustments. Head Coach Yang Chen emphasized, "The four backs on the field of play do not need to communicate too much, only the defense line synergy and consistent action."
After warming up, this was followed by a 20-minute small-scale passing exercise. Players were divided into two groups, each group of 11 people, a group of 20 people in a 10-meter range x pass, in which eight passers may not touch the ball, rotating three blockers need to regain possession of the ball or destroy the opponent pass. Coaching team on the rules, speed and power to put forward higher requirements, this upgraded version of the ball grabbing exercises "as if the actual game".
In the "game" for the possession of the ball, the combination of old and new players was put into a fierce confrontation. Yang Chen kept instructing: "Increase the strength of your passes", then "Pass the ball smoothly", then "Pass the ball accurately to the ideal position", and then he shouted out more "good ball" and "beautiful". Then he called out more "good ball" and "beautiful". Witnessing the exciting scenes of fast passing, fast intercepting and fast receiving, Yang Chen emphasized loudly: "The game is this fast-paced!"
The intense passing practice lasted 20 minutes. After a short rehydration, the players performed a set of 20-minute aerobic speed limit runs. Assistant coach Ma Quan said the players were able to keep their heart rate within 165 during the aerobic fitness training, which was monitored by scientific research equipment and slightly improved over the past few days. "They are expected to perform better tomorrow."
