The Chinese men’s soccer team, which aims to advance to the semifinals of the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, raised expectations to achieve its goal with a big win in its first game.
In a report citing the Chinese daily People’s Daily on the 19th, China’s Sohu.com reported that China defeated India 5-1 and expressed great expectations, saying, “If we don’t meet Korea in the semifinals, we can even aim for the championship.”
China defeated India 5-1 in the first match of Group A men’s soccer at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games held at the Huanglong Sports Center Stadium in China on the 19th.
They are confident of advancing to the tournament because they are in Group A with teams that are considered weak, including Myanmar and Bangladesh, along with their opponent that day, India.
Dejan Djordjevic, head coach of China’s Asian Games football team, said at the post-match press conference: “We knew that the first match would not be easy. It was stressful because everyone was watching us. But we did everything we could in training. “My teammates believed they could do it in the game, and they did. Winning the first game is always good and it gives you more confidence.”
He continued, “I started the game for the first time (among the Chinese players) in this Asian Games. And I won. This is also what I want to say to other Chinese players. I hope that by showing a good game and the best play, I can win and become a champion.”
China’s best performance ever was a runner-up finish at the 1994 Asian Games in Hiroshima, Japan.
With the goal of reaching at least the semifinals in this tournament held in Hangzhou, the team handed over the baton to coach Djordjevic, who had a long career as a coach in Serbia’s national and professional teams, in February먹튀검증, and has been building up his team for a long time.
However, coincidentally, the final hurdle for China to achieve its goal of reaching the top four is likely to be Korea, the favorite for the championship. According to the tournament bracket, if China passes Group A in first place and Korea also passes Group E in first place and passes the round of 16, and both countries win, the two countries will play a quarterfinal match at the Hwalung Sports Center Stadium on the 1st of next month.
However, assuming that Korea ranks first in Group E, and if China qualifies for the tournament by placing second or third in Group A, they will not meet in the quarterfinals.
China will play group stage matches against Myanmar on the 21st and then Bangladesh on the 24th.
Coach Djordjevic said, “We’ve taken a good first step, but there’s still a long way to go. I think soccer can be described as a marathon. There’s a lot going on and I don’t know what’s going to happen, but it’s good to get a good result in the first game.” “Good luck to all Chinese sports athletes. I hope we can achieve many better results for China,” he said.
“I also want to convey my expectations to the fans,” he added. “I hope more fans will cheer for us during the next game. I hope they can fill the stadium because our players are worth cheering for.”