Watching Qatar successfully defend its title and the curtain of the Asian Cup slowly falling, I have mixed feelings in my heart. This competition really subverted our stereotype, and the teams of South Korea and Japan, which we thought would be beautiful, did not make it to the end, but teams like Jordan and Tajikistan brought us surprises. But for our Chinese men's football team, the 18th place this time can be said to be the worst in history. Seeing this, I can't help but start to reflect, what is missing from our football?
First of all, the data really shows the gap between the national football team and the Asian powerhouses. The average number of shots per game, the number of shots on target and the number of consecutive passes, these basic statistics are all in the lower reaches, and this is not only a technical problem, but also a lack of tactical awareness and tacit understanding between players. Defending has become our strength, but football is won or lost by goals. With such data, people have to sigh that the national football team really needs a deep reflection and radical change.
When it comes to change, we have to mention the issue of youth training. Looking at the rise of the national teams of Qatar and Jordan, there is a complete set of youth training system behind them. And our youth training seems to have been standing still. Not only the youth training, but also the level of our league, the players' overseas experience, and even the use of naturalized players have exposed the shortcomings of the national football team. I remember someone said, "Youth training is the root, the league is the foundation", and now it seems that our roots are not strong enough, and the roots are not strong enough.
In the face of the additional quota places for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, opportunities and challenges coexist. We should not only see the increase in the number of seats, but also the general improvement in the strength of Asian teams. If you don't advance, you will retreat, this is not just a sentence. If we don't adjust and reform our football system in time, we will only go further and further in the face of increasingly fierce international competition.
What I want to say to the national football team is that now is the time to wake up. We need to start with youth training, reform the league, improve the international vision of players, and use practical actions to close the gap with the strong teams in Asia. What we need is not only technical improvement, but also tactical innovation, as well as an improvement in the mentality and teamwork of the players. I hope that the national football team can break the old and create a new, find its own path to success, and never let history repeat itself. This Asian Cup has taught us a profound lesson and given us a way forward. Let's look forward to the awakening of the national football team and look forward to a brighter tomorrow for Chinese football!