On October 1st, Chinese team players and on-site audience paid their respects.

Passing the battle record but profound lessons learned

In this Asian Games, the men's football team reached the quarterfinals, marking the second time in 17 years that the Chinese men's football team has reached the quarterfinals at the Asian Games. In terms of their performance, they should be considered qualified. However, some of the problems exposed by the men's football team in the competition are also worth reflecting on.

In the quarterfinals match against Qatar, the team had issues with emotional management. Jiang Shenglong received a red card in the final moments, and Gao Tianyi also received a yellow card, resulting in the accumulation of two yellow cards in the game. As a result, the two players were suspended from playing in the match against the South Korean team.

On September 27th, the referee showed a red card to Chinese team player Jiang Shenglong (left) during the game. On that day, in the men's football quarterfinals of the Hangzhou Asian Games, the Chinese team defeated Qatar 1-0.

The absence of Jiang Shenglong and Gao Tianyi has had a significant impact on the Chinese team. In the match against the South Korean team, the Chinese team's defense has repeatedly shown loopholes, making it very difficult to defend. If these two players are on the field, can the Chinese team withstand the opening "three board axe" of the South Korean team and have a greater chance of winning?

Unfortunately, football doesn't have an if. In a competition, one move is often careless and one set is lost. The Chinese team does not have absolute strength, and it is even more important to focus on every detail in order to fully unleash their strength. It is worth noting that the issue of player emotional management is not only present in national teams and Asian Games teams, but similar situations often occur in professional leagues and clubs.

The national football team urgently needs to replenish fresh blood

The men's national team, preparing for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, drew with Malaysia and lost to Syria in two warm-up matches in early September, showing disappointing performance. In the match against Syria, the average age of the team's starting lineup has exceeded 31 years old. The national football team needs to demote talents without any restrictions and urgently needs to replenish fresh blood.

After two warm-up matches against Vietnam and Uzbekistan in October, the Chinese national football team will welcome the World Cup qualifiers against Thailand and South Korea in November. The preparation and adjustment time left for the Chinese national football team is already very urgent, and players who have performed well at this Asian Games should have the opportunity.

On September 21st, Chinese team player Wang Zhen'ao (first from right) took a shot during the game. On that day, in Group A of the men's football group stage at the Hangzhou Asian Games, the Chinese team defeated the Myanmar team 4-0.

There is no need to mention three overage players in the men's football Asian Games team. Tan Long, Gao Tianyi, and Liu Yang were previously regulars of the national team and have also played a pivotal role in the Asian Games team, with a high probability of returning to the national team. U24 players Dai Weijun, Zhu Chenjie, Fang Hao, and others also deserve a position in the national team, and for young players like Wang Zhenao who are quite energetic, it is also worth giving them a chance to perform on a larger stage.

Seeing hope and seeing gaps more clearly

We saw hope at the Asian Games - under the guidance of Djorgevic, these players showed remarkable spirit and spirit. Especially in the quarterfinals against Qatar, the team started with a "flash" lead, and the resilience demonstrated by the team afterwards was impressive.