Liaoning Media: U16 National Team Shows Promising Offense, Aibibula Performs Actively

According to the Liaoning Daily, on August 18th, the second round of the 2024 Shenyang “Peace Cup” International Football Invitational Tournament was held. China’s U16 men’s football team lost 1-2 to Japan’s U16 men’s football team. With one win and one loss, accumulating three points, they temporarily stand in second place.

The match kicked off at 19:35. Less than ten minutes into the game, heavy rain fell in Shenyang, continuing until near the end of the match, which greatly increased the difficulty for both teams to execute their technical and tactical plays. Although the wet pitch reduced Japan’s technical superiority, it also led to a sharp increase in passing errors by the U16 national team. In fact, both goals conceded by the U16 national team were similar, with defensive and goalkeeper errors under pressure from the Japanese team being exploited by the opponents to score.

However, from these two matches, this U16 national team has shown many bright spots in offense. Aibibula, wearing the number 10 jersey, was the most active Chinese player in these two matches. Whether it was controlling the midfield through teamwork or breaking through individually on the flanks, he stood out. In this match, it was his personal skill that allowed him to break into the penalty area, dodge the defense, and shoot into the far corner, helping the team equalize the score.

Wei Xiangxin also deserves praise in the center-forward position. He can calmly protect the ball and create opportunities for teammates. He scored twice in the decisive victory against Vietnam’s U16 men’s football team. Li Xiang, who played the role of a “super substitute,” also left a deep impression. This young player from Luneng Football School caused considerable trouble for the opponent’s defense in his limited playing time. In the match against Vietnam, Li Xiang seized opportunities sharply, scoring twice against the opponents.

Overall, the U16 men’s team’s record of one win and one loss is reasonable. At the post-match press conference, Hiroshi Hiroyama, head coach of Japan’s U16 men’s football team, highly praised the U16 national team: “China showed good tactical discipline and consistently pressured us with active challenges. Competing against such excellent opponents is a valuable asset for the growth of our players.”