Yu Dabao, a player who made five appearances in the Asian qualifiers for the Qatar World Cup, has seen his goal and assist records thin out as his appearances have dwindled. According to the "German" data, Yu has played 65 matches for the Chinese team so far, scoring 19 goals.
Yu Dabao's decision to withdraw from the national team was not an impulse. His consistency of appearances in the national team has suffered as he has gotten older. Before the start of the last four rounds of the Qatar World Qualifiers, national soccer coach Li Xiaopeng had implicitly said that the next game may be the last chance for some veterans to represent the national team, and hoped that the players would cherish such an opportunity. Although Li Xiaopeng did not explicitly point out, but at that time there were fans and industry sources speculated that some veterans, including Yu Dabao, may gradually fade out of the national team after the end of the current World Qualifying Tournament. This change is not only the objective law of soccer development, but also the inevitable demand for team renewal. For Yu Dabao's exit, both within the national football team and the soccer circle, actually have some expectations.
Like retiring national soccer veteran captain Zheng Zhi, Yu Dabao has had a long career as a loyal member and decorated player of the national soccer team. However, they also failed to lead the national team to the World Cup final round, leaving behind regrets. Yu Dabao's sentiments on social media platforms are both an expression of regret and a way to inspire young players to work hard through his outstanding goals in the East Asian Cup.
It is worth mentioning that after missing out on the World Cup final round in Qatar, the national soccer team's preparation for this year's tournament has come to an end, and there is still no official answer to the question of whether head coach Li Xiaopeng will stay or go. The Chinese team that will participate in the upcoming East Asian Cup will be dominated by young players, and this unit will, to some extent, become the prototype of the new national football team. From this point of view, Yu Dabao intends to give up his position in the national team to young players with potential.
