At the end of an intense tournament, Gao Mian, head coach of the Wuhan Sanzhen soccer team, faced the camera of the Japanese soccer magazine footballzone and analyzed the position of the Chinese Super League in the Asian Champions League. Gao pointed out that although China's soccer team has struggled under the shadow of the epidemic, the overall level has improved significantly, but the strength of Japan and South Korea is still not to be underestimated.
It is reported that the epidemic has had a far-reaching impact on the domestic soccer industry. yahoo reported that since the restart of the 2020 AFC Champions League, most of our teams have been playing with a younger lineup of players. At the same time, impacted by factors such as the bursting of the real estate bubble, some clubs have sharply reduced in size, and their competitiveness in the Asian game has significantly declined. Guangzhou Evergrande, for example, its glory in the AFC Champions League is no longer.
Looking back at last season, Shandong Taishan met Urawa Red Diamonds in the group stage of the AFC Champions League, but fielded a starless lineup and ended up losing both matches 0-5. This season, on the other hand, they were grouped with Yokohama Marinos and narrowly missed out on advancing to the group stage with a record of 4 wins and 1 loss.
In a match against Urawa Red Diamonds, Gao Mian said, "It was a game about advancing in the group and we were under tremendous pressure. Early on in the game, we struggled to play as well as we should have with our home fans watching. As the pressure eased, we were able to capitalize on some of our chances to control the ball, but were unlucky to be awarded a penalty kick towards the end of the first half. It was a challenging away trip and we were looking forward to taking the three points but fate had its way."
Talking about the AFC Champions League, Gao Mian said, "Although Chinese soccer has gone through bubble bursting and salary problems, some famous foreign aiders still joined the league and the overall strength has been improved. However, in the AFC Champions League, Japanese and South Korean teams are strong, and the top teams in the Chinese Super League have also shown a good level. With the accumulation of experience, we will be more comfortable with our opponents in away confrontations."
Reports indicate that in the past, teams such as Guangzhou Evergrande and Shanghai Shanghai SIPG achieved success in the AFC Champions League and became regulars in the knockout rounds. Although Wuhan Sanzhen have been eliminated, they are expected to become a new threat to Japanese teams with the reform of the AFC Champions League system.
