Soccer News: More Alarming Than the Defeat is the Seeming Acceptance by National Team Players of Such a Large Gap

On the evening of September 5, the Chinese national team suffered a 0-7 defeat against Japan in an away match during the top 18 qualifying round, currently placing them at the bottom of their group. Soccer News wrote that with a score of 0-7, China’s national team lost its first away game of the top 18 qualifiers to Japan. The loss itself was within the expectations of fans, but such a crushing defeat and the record-breaking most painful scoreline in World Cup qualifier history are clearly unacceptable. What is even more alarming is that it seems the national team players have accepted that the “gap” between the two sides is just this large.

The gap exists objectively, but a seven-goal defeat cannot be easily dismissed with the excuse of an insurmountable chasm. There are numerous issues with the team’s training preparations and the psychological conditioning of the national players: First, the national team lacks the necessary confidence, and when facing strong opponents, one could even say there is no confidence at all; the most direct consequence is that key points repeatedly emphasized in training continue to be frequently mishandled in actual matches. Second, the national team lacks fighting spirit under adverse conditions, which directly contradicts the head coach’s intended strategy. Ivan’s understanding of the players’ abilities and characteristics has deviated in such a passive situation. Third, serious problems have emerged in the team’s lineup arrangement, tactical responses, and on-field command. To be more specific, the national team did not exhibit the required aggressiveness in the game, and such defense put no pressure on the Japanese team whatsoever.

The national team had pledged confidently before the game, but in the match itself, they failed to demonstrate the results of their training camp. Their overall morale was very low, and their confidence severely lacking. They had no effective counterattack strategies and lacked depth and adaptability in defense. Japan’s goals were scored as easily as if they were playing around cones. One might even say that the intensity of this match did not quite match that of a typical Japanese team intrasquad practice game.