After the fierce battle in the Qatar Asian Cup, we once again witnessed the setback of the national football team. Traditional powerhouses such as Japan, South Korea, Australia and Iran have not been able to achieve the expected results, but what is even more surprising is that the performance of the national football team is even worse, with no wins and no goals, which is beyond most expectations. In the last Asian Cup, although the national football team was eliminated by Iran, it at least broke into the quarterfinals, but this time it did not even qualify for the group stage, which clearly shows the regression of the national football team.
The latest FIFA rankings will be updated soon, and the performance in this Asian Cup is sure to have a significant impact on the rankings. For our national football team, this regression is not only numerical, but also a double blow to strength and confidence. In the new international rankings, the position of the national football team fell to 13th in Asia, and the world ranking fell to 87th, which is undoubtedly a new low in the history of the national football team.
These games, whether it is the defeat in the warm-up match or the poor performance in the Asian Cup, all reflect the problems of the national football team in terms of technology, tactics and even mentality. Losses to Oman, draws with Tajikistan and Lebanon, and losses to Qatar have led directly to a significant drop in FIFA points. What is even more disappointing is that even against an opponent like Hong Kong, China, the national football team failed to win, although this game was not counted as an international A-level competition, but such a performance is enough to speak for itself.
In the face of the upcoming World Preliminaries, the national football team is facing tremendous pressure and challenges. The two matches against Singapore are not only crucial to qualifying, but also important battles to stop further declines in the rankings. According to the current situation, the strength of the national football team seems to have become a reality outside the top 15 in Asia and the top 100 in the world.
However, as fans, we should perhaps accept this reality. After all, there are always ups and downs in the world of football. We've seen traditional powerhouses like Germany and Italy have had their share of slumps. But the key is how we should self-reflect and adjust in the face of setbacks and failures in order to find a way to rise again. The current situation of the national football team is indeed not optimistic, but this is also an opportunity, an opportunity to face reality, face up to problems, and actively seek change.
What is the way forward? This is a question that every fan who cares about the national football team is thinking about. Perhaps, what we need is not only technical and tactical changes, but also a deep reflection and innovation in the system, training system and even the entire football culture. Every failure of the national football team is a wake-up call for us and a driving force for us to move forward. The support of the fans will never be missing, but what we hope to see is that the national football team grows in setbacks and finds the key to victory in defeat.