On the global soccer stage, the importance of the opening match of a national soccer team's World Qualifying Tour cannot be overstated. Facing Thailand, a comparable team in the 36-team group stage, the expectation of Chinese fans is obvious - to strive for a complete victory in the first match! Given that the national soccer team is ranked 79 in the world, 33 places above Thailand, and 11 places ahead in the Asian rankings, the media have been shouting, "Man up, be tough on yourself!" Even some voices considered 1 point acceptable.
However, why is the national soccer team so cautious about its goals for the first game? The complexity of playing away from home and concerns about the impact on confidence have prevented the team from setting high targets. As Guangzhou Daily's analysis on Nov. 16 suggests, even against lower-ranked opponents, it's important to give ourselves room to maneuver. Does such a strategy mean we are just trying to make an impact rather than win the World Cup?
South Korea, the strongest opponent in the group, is undoubtedly the dominant team in the group. If the national soccer team is really ambitious, it will have to compete with the other two powerhouses in the final stage. The weather and pressure of playing away from home are nothing more than external hype. The international players are professional elites. If they don't fight on the road, can they relax when they return home? When they lose, some will use "home pressure" as an excuse.
In the process of the national soccer team's preparation for the first match, the technical and tactical training outside the Shenzhen Universiade Center on the 14th attracted attention. Yankovic took into account the monitoring of the Thai team and arranged only a simple training to adapt to the field, and did not carry out tactical drills. Fans jokingly said, "The tactics of the national soccer team, let a person can not guess." The secrecy of the positional ball training has increased the curiosity of the fans about the tactics.
Yankovic's coaching staff analyzed the Thai team in depth and developed a targeted tactical arrangement focusing on confrontation and offense-defense transition. He emphasized that discipline is the key. Considering the players' fatigue, the training intensity was moderate and no high-intensity confrontation was arranged.On November 15, the Daily News pointed out that the Chinese team was not superior in terms of strength and confidence.
The national soccer team will use the three center-back tactic, and Jankovic will not easily adjust the lineup. In order to reduce the pressure on the team, Song Kai, the president of the Football Association, chose not to supervise the game on site, and such a decision was recognized by the public. What purpose could it serve for Chen Xuyuan and other FA leaders to watch the game? Apart from fostering corruption, it's just a way to get away from the game overseas and do the so-called "lap dance" when they return home. Song Kai's absence was certainly a wise move.
