A spotlight duel between Guangzhou player Wang Tianqing (L) and Japan's Kawasaki Strikers player Kobayashi Yu in a fierce scramble, Xinhua pictured.
In the just-concluded second round of the AFC Champions League group stage, Guangzhou suffered a heartbreaking 0-8 loss, the largest point difference in the history of Chinese teams in the AFC Champions League. What's even more eye-opening is that they conceded five goals in the first half, a record high for the AFC Champions League in the last 16 years.
It was not Guangzhou's first defeat in this season's AFC Champions League, as they were defeated 0-5 by Malaysia's Johor in the first round. Also meeting their Waterloo was Shandong Taishan, who lost 0-7 to South Korea's Daegu in the first round and 0-5 to Japan's Urawa Red Diamonds in the second. The two Chinese Super League (CSL) teams had no luck in the first two rounds of the group stage, conceding a total of 25 goals.
This season is the second consecutive year that a Chinese Super League (CSL) team has participated in the AFC Champions League due to scheduling conflicts and an epidemic. Last season, Beijing Guoan suffered a similar defeat, including a 0-7 loss against Kawasaki Striker, while Guangzhou were defeated by Japan's Osaka Sakura and Thailand's Port of Lions in the tournament, 0-5 and 1-5 respectively.
In the face of such a series of defeats, people can not help but ask, what is the value of such participation? For young players, playing directly in the top Asian games, is it just for them to "feel the big game"? This kind of game is more like an elementary school student facing the challenge of the college entrance exam. The value of technical and tactical drills is questionable, as they are often left to run for their lives on the field. Instead of traveling to other countries, it is better to practice at home.
In addition, consecutive crushing defeats may have a negative impact on the psychology of young players, which in turn may affect their future career development. Former national soccer goalkeeper Au Chuliang has made it clear that he is against allowing young players to participate in high-level matches like the AFC Champions League too early.
Regrettably, Guangzhou player Guan Haojin was red-carded for an unintentional foul in the last match, and the team's announcement of the handling of the situation sparked even more controversy. Such a treatment certainly sends a wrong message to the young players.
In the second game, Guangzhou players looked scared in the scramble, conceded 5 goals in the first half, but the number of fouls is only 4, this ratio is rare in soccer games. When the weaker side doesn't even dare to let go in the scramble, the fiasco seems to have become inevitable.
This season's AFC Champions League saw both Shanghai Harbour and Changchun Yatai opt out, while Guangzhou and Shandong Taishan chose to compete. Although such a decision to avoid the AFC Champions League appeared in the absence of Chinese super teams regret, but the AFC will be satisfied with this? I'm afraid not. Sending teams to participate in the competition reduces the competitiveness and spectacle of the game, and may even affect the fairness of the game.
There is no denying that the Chinese Super League teams are currently facing a very difficult survival environment and a lot of uncertainty. Going abroad is even more difficult, but now traveling to other countries to participate in the AFC Champions League seems to be a tournament that is "unfavorable" in every way.
Fiascoes aren't scary, it's meaningless fiascoes that are scary.
Is the "value of competition training" really that significant? Does the Chinese Super League really need to "assist" AFC to keep the AFC Champions League in good standing? What lessons can young players learn from such a fiasco? All of this requires the decision makers at the salon to think again.
