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| XinhuaYonhap News |
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| XinhuaYonhap News |
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| XinhuaYonhap News |
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On the 21st, China's soccer media Shooting China is on the right path, breaking the 40-year-old abnormality of the U-20 national soccer team' highlighted the performance of the U-20 team in the Asian Cup in an article under him.
Host China defeated Qatar 2-1 in Group A of the 2025 Asian U-20 Asian Cup in Shenzhen, China, and defeated Kyrgyzstan 5-2. They lost the final match against Australia 1-2 but qualified for the quarterfinals as second place in the group with six points. Shooting China's article was written a day before the quarterfinals against Saudi Arabia.
This media outlet has one characteristic when looking at the past three games in China. It is said that the most tactical discipline in the U-20 national team of the past 20 years is outstanding. This tactical discipline was most pronounced in the second half of the Australia match. China used the personal characteristics of the side players to carry out a threatening side attack even when they were being dragged out. In China, the movement of all players is very clear, from passes between players, individual breakthroughs using speed, and movements in off-the-ball situations. 'These tactical disciplines have rarely been seen in the last 20 years, and with exaggeration added, they have not been seen in 40 years.'
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| XinhuaYonhap News |
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| XinhuaYonhap News |
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Shooting China 'For the past 40 years, China used to make low-level mistakes as if the swollen ball suddenly went out. His normal body became extremely stiff and he made strange mistakes. 'This time, the U-20 team achieved 'no abnormal mistakes' when it came to handling the ball not only in attack but also in defense, which is perhaps the biggest feature of the current team. All players are confident in handling the ball, and trust in the coach can be seen. The U-20 team is on the right track. Even if they don't make it to the World Cup, they should be applauded.'"
A day later, on the 22nd, China kept a balance of zero for 90 minutes against Saudi Arabia. However, in the fifth minute of extra time in the second half, Amar al-Yuhavi dedicated a theatrical goal and lost 0-1. Some Chinese players cried with regret. As a result, China failed to qualify for the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup, which will be given to the top four teams that advanced to the semifinals at this Asian Cup. The U-20 World Cup will be held in Chile from September to October. China has not made the finals for 20 years since the 2005 U-20 World Cup in the Netherlands. At the 2023 U-20 Asian Cup in Uzbekistan, they met South Korea in the quarterfinals and lost 1-3 after extra time, failing to advance to the semifinals. Shooting China's best performance was in seventh place at the 1985 U-20 World Cup, which was referred to as '40 years ago'.
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| photo courtesy of the Korea Football Association |
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Korea cannot afford to let down its guard. South Korea, which passed the group stage with two wins and one draw and no loss, will compete with Uzbekistan for the semifinals at 8:30 p.m. on the 23rd. If they win against Uzbekistan, they will meet Saudi Arabia in the semifinals on the 26th. Korea is aiming to win the title for the first time in 13 years since the 2012 United Arab Emirates Games.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
