Even the “lost hope” of the Chinese national soccer team, which is challenging to advance to the round of 16 at the 2023 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup, is on the verge of disappearing. This is because Qatar, which has already confirmed the round of 16 and the top spot in the group, has expressed its willingness to compete in the tournament with the goal of winning against China.
“There will be 40,000 to 50,000 fans who want to see Qatar win at the stadium,” Qatar national team coach Tintin Marquez said at a press conference ahead of the final Group A match against China at Khalifa International Stadium in Alayyan, Qatar, at midnight on Tuesday (Korea time). “We will compete and play fairly against China to present the best performance to Qatar’s fans.” While Qatar has already confirmed its advance to the round of 16 teams and the top spot in its group by winning two consecutive group matches, it is determined to win the match against China as well.
“Of course, I know that we have to make an advantageous choice to win this championship. That doesn’t mean that we will either revise the formation or hire an inefficient player,” Marquez said. “There will be some changes, but the goal is to win the game together with the players who are participating.”
Marquez’s pledge is bitter news for China, which had “a faint hope” ahead of the match against Qatar. China is ranking second with two points after a series of goalless draws with Tajikistan and Lebanon. If the team loses to the round of 16 by itself, it must beat Qatar, and if it loses to a draw, it may be eliminated from the group stage depending on the outcome of other teams’ matches.
Looking at the objective power and performance of this tournament, China is inferior to Qatar, but it was welcome for China to play the final match with Qatar confirming both the first place and the round of 16 in the group. Even if it loses to China, it was expected that Qatar’s rotation would be very large as it would not affect the outcome of its first place in the group and advance to the round of 16.
Chinese media outlets including Sohu Dotcom also predicted that Qatar’s confirmation of No. 1 ranking in its group will be in China’s favor. Even if Qatar operates the rotation, it may be inferior in overall capability, but the possibility of its victory will be huge. “Even if Qatar operates the rotation, its overall capability is still superior to that of China,” Sohu Dotcom said. “If Qatar’s rotation lineup is not much different from that of its main players, its national team will face a life-and-death battle. If it loses to Qatar, which operated the rotation, the Chinese national team will not only face a bigger chance of failing to advance to the round of 16 but also face greater public pressure. It will be absolutely unacceptable.”
“There is nothing that I can influence Qatar’s lineup,” said Aleksandar Jankovic, the coach of the Chinese national team, who is rumored to be dismissed. “It is up to Qatar to decide what kind of lineup Qatar will form and what kind of players it will appoint,” he said. “That’s why our style of play will not change. We are focusing on how to penetrate Qatar’s space and weaknesses, and how to win.”
BY: 스포츠토토핫