Japan beat our soccer team by a narrow margin of 1-0, which is perhaps the highest achievement our soccer team can achieve in this tournament. Despite the loss, but also gained a lot, head coach Li Tie bluntly said that the gap between the national football team and the top teams in Asia is obvious, and urgently need to improve their strength.
In the post-match press conference, Li Tie said: "I sincerely thank the players for their hard work, but also thank all the fans who cheered for the team in front of the TV. Through this game, we see more clearly the gap with the top teams in Asia, and clarify the positioning of the team. The players will make targeted adjustments in the next month, and I believe that the team will be in better shape when the third game comes around."
Photo: Li Tie at the post-match press conference
In this game, the Chinese team used a five-guard defense strategy in the first half and was passive across the board. In the second half, Li Tie replaced Alan, Luo Guofu and other attacking players to try to reverse the situation. Talking about the strategy, Li Tie said, "The players' tactical execution was excellent, showing a tenacious fighting spirit. There is no distinction between starters and substitutes in the team, I will decide who to play according to the game state and demand. Today, no matter the main force or substitutes, all put in great efforts, I am satisfied with the players' fighting spirit."
After the first two rounds of the 12-team tournament, the Chinese team has set its next home match in Sharjah, UAE, to face Vietnam on October 7, which also suffered two consecutive defeats. It is reported that the national football team will depart for Sharjah on September 8th. Li Tie revealed that the next team will face "devil training", "I hope that the players will regard every game of the 12 strong as the final of their lives, and the match against Vietnam is no exception. In this month, we will train hard to improve the physical condition of the players. If I can get the chance, I hope to play warm-up matches against some stronger teams. In the past two matches, there was a clear gap in tempo between us and the strongest teams in Asia, which is something we urgently need to improve."
Photo: Li Tie guides the players AFP photo
Goalkeeper Yan Junling said in a post-match interview about the change to five defenders, "After the last game, the coaching team put forward detailed requirements for us, including adjusting the rear defense to five defenders. This limited Japan's offense to a certain extent, and I think this game also reflects the coaching team's adjustments."
Regarding the concern about naturalized national players, Yan Junling said, "I think that to be in the national team, everyone represents this country and fights for the team to win. Everyone can also see that the naturalized players show the desire to win on the field." (Xinmin Evening News reporter Guan Yin)
