Xinhua News: Men’s Football Can’t Just Resign Themselves to Failure Today

On September 8, Xinhua News published an article discussing the first round of the 18-strong tournament where the Chinese national football team lost 0-7 to Japan.

The 0:7 defeat a few days ago has shattered the bottom line of expectations that fans had for the national football team.

Without a doubt, losing to Japan, one of the world’s top teams, while playing away was expected. However, suffering the biggest defeat in team history came as a shock, and even more shocking was the players’ state during the game – constant low-level mistakes, no tactics, no coordination, no fighting spirit, not even physical confrontations… It’s no wonder that criticism flooded the internet, with “lacking spirit” being a common refrain among viewers.

Losing is acceptable, but resigning oneself to failure is not. In two days, the men’s team will face another strong Asian contender, Saudi Arabia, at home, and this psychological bottom line of fans must not be breached again.

After the 0:7 defeat, the confidence of the players, the unity of the team, and the authority of the coach are all likely shaken. But it is precisely in these darkest moments that everyone must remain united, learn from their humiliation, and fight back from despair. As the two leaders of the Football Association encouraged the national team on the 7th, they should demonstrate good morale and fight with spirit. As the players themselves said, they must look forward, and when facing Saudi Arabia, they just need to ‘go for it.’ This should become the consensus of the entire team right now.

The Chinese fans who have always stood by the national team are passionate yet understanding. Regarding the upcoming battle in Dalian, few are saying that losing is unacceptable. However, they all hope that the men’s team will at least display the spirit and character of the Chinese team, perform to their current level and what is expected of them, rather than collapsing on the field once they fall behind significantly. Some netizens even commented that if every match could be played like the 0:1 loss against South Korea, then the participation of the national team in the 18-strong tournament would be worthwhile.

In the arena of competition, spirit is more important than gold medals. While the glory of victory is certainly admirable, those who give their all in defeat are equally respected. Fighting for the country and for honor, the enthusiasm and fighting spirit of the players are clear to the countless spectators.

It is well known that the national team’s entry into the 18-strong stage of this World Cup qualifier was already a pleasant surprise. Even without the heavy loss in the first match, advancing to the World Cup was not highly probable. In subsequent matches, the men’s team needs to adjust their mindset, cherish the opportunity to compete with strong teams, and show themselves as humble learners who refuse to lag behind.

A minute on the field requires ten years of effort off it. Those who need to learn humbly are not just the players. Almost every time the national team suffers a crushing defeat, the issue of youth training is raised, which is truly alarming: problems keep repeating, everyone keeps reflecting, yet reality continues to deteriorate. According to authoritative data, the number of young Chinese players is still less than one-tenth of Japan’s. Yet Japan’s total population is less than one-tenth of China’s.

Persistence over a long period cannot just be lip service. Since 1996, Japanese football has been implementing its century plan, and today, less than 30 years later, they are a world-class team capable of consistently defeating teams like Germany. Does Chinese football have such perseverance, determination, and execution?

A month ago, at the Paris Olympics, the people of China witnessed the peak physical condition and the glorious achievement of 40 gold medals won by Chinese Olympic athletes; the ongoing Paris Paralympics have shown the indomitable spirit and the honor of leading the medal tally continuously by the Chinese Paralympic delegation. For the blood-boiling footballers, when losing becomes a habit and enduring criticism becomes a compulsory subject, can there really be no fighting spirit left in the face of despair?

Desperate soldiers often win. Even if their skills are inferior, they should never yield. Some criticisms, sarcasm, or even abuse online may be excessive, but love runs deep, and blame is sharp. When the majority of fans no longer bother to criticize, that will be the most profound tragedy for footballers.