The Chinese men's national team ushered in its first match against the powerful South Korean team in the East Asian Cup, which is in full swing. It is worth noting that the average age of the Chinese team is only 22.6 years old, the youngest among all participating teams. In comparison, South Korea's average age is 25.5 years old, while Japan's is 25.4 years old.
The only experienced players in this list are Jiang Guangtai, Zhu Chenjie, Dai Weijun and Tan Long, who have international A-level appearance records. And the largest number of players were sent from Shenzhen and Shanghai Shenhua.
Whether or not this young group of national footballers will be able to make a difference in the tournament has become the center of attention for the majority of fans. Stay tuned for daily highlights and a chance to get more exciting content.
Looking back at history, China has only won one, drawn three and lost four in its meetings with South Korea in the East Asian Cup. The last time China beat South Korea in the East Asian Cup was 12 years ago. It will be interesting to see if the young players can break the history and create problems for South Korea.
Recently, the Chinese team has not participated in training for more than three months, and the preparation is not ideal. To excel in the tournament, the young players will need to give their all on the pitch.
In contrast, the South Korean team had a long technical and tactical practice from the end of May to the middle of June to prepare for the World Cup. The team played against powerhouse teams such as Brazil, Chile and Paraguay, and their strength should not be underestimated. It is worth mentioning that the South Korean team did not send all the main force, mainly dominated by domestic league players. The Chinese team is not without chances. South Korea's head coach Bento said, "This East Asia Cup is still mainly to investigate the players and prepare for the World Cup."
Looking ahead to the tournament, the Chinese team should look squarely at its history against South Korea. Although the Korean team is strong, the Chinese team has advantages in terms of youth and physical strength. Hopefully, the Chinese team will give full play to their strengths and show their best level in the first match.
