With the curtain falling on the first phase of the Chinese Super League on August 15, it was immediately followed by the horn blowing for the World Preliminary 12 tournament.
national soccer team
The euphoria of being in the Top 40 is instantly a thing of the past, embarking on a shocking Qatar
World Cup
Before the final round of the tournament, a sudden change is approaching: a change in the format of the tournament. This change will undoubtedly affect the choice of venue.
The latest schedule released on FIFA's official website shows that China will face Australia in the first round of Group B matches at 14:00 on September 1, away from Western Sydney Stadium. However, given the Australian government's anti-epidemic policy, there is still uncertainty as to whether the match, which is expected to be played in an empty stadium, will go ahead.
Unlike the situation faced by our federation, the Australian federation's proposed home option was approved and the team was able to play at home but was not granted a quarantine exemption and all incoming players had to complete a two-week quarantine.
With many members of the national team playing overseas, the AFL is actively negotiating with the government to create a "safety bubble" for the team to ensure that preparations are not disrupted. A spokesman for the AFL emphasized: "Ensuring the health of the team, officials and the public is the focus of our discussions with the government." If the "safety bubble" is successfully established, the Chinese team will not need to be quarantined for two weeks and the tournament is expected to go ahead in a relatively fair environment.
To avoid quarantine, Australia's head coach Graham Arnold flew directly to Dubai after completing his Tokyo Olympics duties, awaiting a special government grant of quarantine immunity. However, the recent epidemic situation in Australia has been so severe that this request has not progressed for the time being. On Thursday, the number of new infections in the city of Sydney reached 262, the highest in a single day since the outbreak began, and the city's five million residents have been asked to stay in home quarantine for six weeks.
As a result of the outbreak, the possibility of the Australian Football Federation (AFF) considering using a neutral venue as a home ground for matches against China is on the rise. At present, there are still variables in the venues of China's first round away match against Australia and the second round home match against Japan. In the coming period of time, China's Football Association will negotiate with the Australian and Japanese Football Associations on the time and location of the matches, in an effort to mitigate the negative impact of the epidemic.
