With Qatar 2022
World Cup
The dust has settled on the group draw for the Asian qualifying round of 12, with just a two-month countdown to the first matchup. However, due to the ongoing impact of the new crown epidemic, the
national soccer team
The location of the home site of the
AFC Secretary General Windsor John recently emphasized that the 12-team tournament must be played in accordance with the international match days stipulated by FIFA, and that it is not possible to use the tournament system, but only the home-and-away system. He also expressed his hope that the 12-team tournament will have fans watching the matches live.
The Chinese Football Association (CFA), which had planned to designate Gusu as the home of the 12th round of the tournament, had been criticized for its role in the China-Korea
women's soccer
The protection work provided in the Olympic Preliminaries and Top 40 matches was highly praised, and the fans watched the matches in good order. Gusau has gained experience in hosting international matches in the midst of the epidemic and should be able to meet the requirements of the Top 12. However, with the Chinese Super League in July and August, and the possibility of hosting the AFC Cup from September to November, Gusau will have to cope with the demands of the national team in terms of venue density and turf protection.
In light of this, the CFA has taken Shanghai into consideration. Previously, both China and South Korea
women's soccer
For both the Olympic and Top 40 matches, the visiting team will enter the city through Shanghai Pudong International Airport and then close the loop to Gusu. If Gusu is unable to host the 12-team tournament, Shanghai is undoubtedly an ideal alternative option, and the just-completed Shanghai Pudong soccer stadium can also be used as the home stadium. But whether Shanghai can become the home field, not the CFA can unilaterally decide.
Given that the Top 40 China
national soccer team
The CFA will need to take more factors into consideration when choosing a home ground after the sudden shift of the home ground to the UAE. Windsor-John also said that teams will have to find neutral venues if they are unable to hold home matches. The AFC recently issued a notice asking participating member associations to report their home stadiums by July 16, along with a neutral venue as a backup.
Teams would like to retain their home ground, but the outbreak may cause some teams to lose their home ground status. According to the AFC, visiting teams are allowed to undergo quarantine for a maximum of 48 hours, depending on the government policy of the country and region where they are entering the country; if this period is exceeded, they will be disqualified from the home field.
