Source: body talk
Written by 丨Hawson
Editor丨Xu Song
The feeling of winning is the best.
This sentence is not only Li Hao’s cry, but also the voice of all Chinese fans after the game.
Although this is “only” a victory in the quarter-finals of the U23 Asian Cup, for Chinese football, which has been trudging in a long, dark, and disgusting tunnel for a long time, its significance has gone beyond the simplicity of “making history.”
It is like a sudden heavy hammer that shatters the sense of powerlessness that has long shrouded the hearts of Chinese fans; it is also like a paintbrush that outlines a long-lost and even somewhat unfamiliar quality in Chinese football – pragmatism.
1. An unexpected victory
Before the game, not many people were really optimistic about the Chinese team.
On the one hand, the brand name of Chinese football has indeed been exhausted. The national team was eliminated in the World Cup qualifiers, the Chinese Super League clubs suffered setbacks in the AFC Champions League, and the domestic league was even worse… The vast majority of fans who still insist on watching football probably no longer have any unrealistic expectations in their hearts.
numbness? Maybe a little. But we all understand that numbness is precisely a protective mechanism to actively lower expectations in order to avoid repeated injuries.
In this U23 Asian Cup, the Chinese team’s path to promotion stumbled. In the group stage, they had 1 win, 2 draws and only scored 1 goal. They also won against Thailand with trepidation and a cold sweat.
The opponent Uzbekistan U23 is the absolute ruler of this age group in Asia in the past ten years. In the past four tournaments, they have won one championship, two runner-ups and one third place, and are recognized as regulars in the semi-finals. In this group stage, they had 2 wins and 1 draw, scoring 5 goals and conceding 2 goals. In the final round, they defeated South Korea 2-0 and qualified as the top team. Regardless of their historical record or recent status, they all demonstrate their status as championship favorites.
Before the game, who dared to say that the Chinese team could win?
The course of the game also confirmed the strength gap between the two sides – the Chinese team’s ball possession rate was as low as 29%, while the opponent’s was as high as 71%; shots were 6 to 28, and the number of shots on target was an eye-catching 0 to 8; corner kicks were 1 to 13… In 120 minutes, Uzbekistan used smooth passing and running, patient dispatching and decisive long-range shots to suppress the Chinese team in its own half, forming an absolute siege in terms of statistics and perception.
But the Chinese team just won.
Uzbekistan coach Khaydarov couldn’t hide his confusion after the game: “We controlled the game, but that’s how football is sometimes.”
Yes, football is like that sometimes. When everyone thinks you are doomed, it will leave you with a glimmer of hope – as long as you are pragmatic and tenacious enough.
2. Pragmatism Philosophy
The process was indeed not pretty and the game was ugly. This style of play, which abandons the midfield, retreats across the board, and almost gives up effective offense, even seems a bit “anti-football.”
The shortcomings of this Chinese team are obvious: extremely weak on the offensive end, lacking effective organization and stable scoring methods. Opponent coaches saw it clearly – after the Australian coach Tony Widmar lost, he unceremoniously criticized the Chinese team’s tactics as “relying on the ugly play style of the 1970s” and said “this is disappointing.” Although his remarks may seem like sour grapes, they also confirm the extreme and purity of the Chinese team’s playing style.
But remember, football history has no shortage of classic victories won in ugly ways.
In the 2004 European Cup, Rehhagel led the Greek team. With his ultimate defensive discipline and efficient set-pieces, he defeated France, the Czech Republic and other powerful players, performing a “Greek myth”. In the 2010 Champions League semi-finals, Mourinho’s Inter Milan set up a “bus formation” at Camp Nou. Although the whole game was passive and there was one less player, they successfully eliminated the flourishing Barcelona and finally reached the top of Europe. Are these wins “ugly”? Judging from the scene, this is indeed the case. But aren’t they great? They have long since become legendary chapters in the history of tactics.
In this regard, China’s U23 coach Antonio, a Spaniard who has coached in China for eight years, frankly admitted: “When the Australian team has the ball, our ability to get the ball back from their feet is not very good.” This is not modesty, but a clear understanding based on reality. He further explained: “In the face of this objective fact, if we provide wrong information to the outside world, we are also deceiving ourselves. As a Chinese football team, we should still learn to adapt to our opponents.”
How to adapt? Antonio said a truth before the game: “In the current Chinese football environment, domestic young players simply do not have the ability to do fine work.” This sentence was once criticized as “belittle oneself”, but now it seems that it is precisely the logical starting point for all tactical designs of this team.
However, the principle of “know yourself clearly and play pragmatically”, as simple as common sense, has been almost a luxury for Chinese football in the past few years. We were once lost in the empty talk of “learning from Brazil” or “imitating Japan”, but forgot that even the ball could not stop at our feet; we once changed the order day and night for the slim hope of qualifying, betting on the foundation of the league; we once imagined that naturalized players are the universal answer, but we can never solve the real puzzle… When “pragmatism” is obscured by the eagerness for quick success and quick gains and the ambition, Chinese football is sliding into the abyss in constant self-deception and strategic swings.
Now, this U23 team has used an ultimate defensive performance to rediscover this forgotten common sense – this in itself is thought-provoking enough.
3. Pragmatic cornerstone: forging from individual to system
True pragmatism begins with acknowledging reality. This U23 national football team is really “setting up a bus” and plays passively and ugly. But behind this choice is a kind of sobriety tempered by reality.
When playing against Thailand in the group stage, the young players’ mentality was “drifting” and they wanted to play more proactively. As a result, the situation instantly got out of control, and that game became the worst game they have ever played. This basin of cold water poured in thoroughly, making them realize that within the scope of their current capabilities, any unrealistic fantasy is a fatal trap.
As a result, an almost stubborn tactical discipline has become the only creed of this team – no matter who the opponent is, they must resolutely hand over the ball and retreat across the board.
However, retreat does not mean passive defense. The “lifeline” of the entire team is protected by specific people in specific ways.
The outstanding performance of goalkeeper Li Hao is obvious to all.
left wingHu Hetaois the most stable link in the defense line. This young man who has played in the Chinese Super League and World Cup preliminaries has shown a composure beyond his age. The wing he guards is rarely broken through, and his quick play after calmly handling dangerous balls is often the starting point for the team to relieve pressure.
Xu Bin in the midfield is the core hub of the system’s operation. As a single defensive midfielder, his running coverage covers the entire midfield hinterland, and he has used precise positioning and no-nonsense tackles to disrupt the opponent’s offense countless times. It wasn’t until the moment he fell to the ground with cramps and was helped off the field that people saw how much he had consumed.
frontcourtWang Yudongas a rare technical fulcrum in the team, knows that he has very few chances to get the ball, but every few seconds he takes with his back to catch the ball, protect the ball, and wait for his teammates to intervene are a rare breathing space for the team and an indispensable “first link” in preventing counterattacks.
besidesbaihelamthis tireless young man is the hardest wedge on the front line. He continued to run and fight hard, constantly harassing the opponent’s defense, and buying precious defense time for his teammates behind him…
Every player on the field is linked like precision gears to ensure that even on the verge of exhaustion, they can still complete the next synchronized move and key block.
The winning goal against Australia was the reward of this total discipline – it was not a sudden flash of inspiration, but the result of determined execution of tactics.
The fierce battle with Uzbekistan tempered the team’s tenacity to the extreme. When the opponent uses skillful techniques to form an all-round suppression, “withstanding” means that everyone is engaged in a battle of wills. After Xu Bin came off the field, the midfielder was under greater pressure, but the defense miraculously remained tidy; Hu Tao made a key clearance in overtime; Li Hao made a decisive save after being collided. All this is no accident, but the collective focus and discipline forged into a trustworthy system force.
So when impatience appeared on some of the Uzbek players’ faces during overtime, the momentum of the game had quietly shifted. Our young men are not only defusing the offensive, but also devouring the opponent’s patience and confidence. This is in line with the objective evaluation of the Iraqi coach: “The Chinese team’s defensive organization is the top in this tournament.”
At this point, the “pragmatic” path of this U23 team has clearly emerged: starting from facing the reality that their skills are inferior to others, integrating the characteristics of each player into a unified defensive system, and finally relying on the team’s iron will to forge a narrow and solid path in a desperate situation.
Yes, their football was not pleasing to the eye, but they survived, won, and made history. This is pragmatism – admit who you are first, and then decide how to play football. At the current rock bottom of Chinese football, this kind of sobriety is more valuable than any rhetoric.
4. Winning “ugliness” also makes sense
The reason is simple: when your feet are weak, your coordination is unfamiliar, and you can’t keep up with the rhythm, insisting on pursuing beautiful scenes is not courage, but arrogant naivety. On the football field, staying alive is always more important than looking good.
So the question is: can we still play good-looking football if we always win so “ugly”?
Perhaps we should think from a different angle: the current style of play may not be the “final answer” for Chinese football. You know, when fans have become accustomed to losing again and again, the team’s first priority is not to show the upper limit, but to hold on to the lower limit. From this perspective, being able to “not lose” is the most precious victory.
What’s more, this ugly victory at least helped Chinese football regain two things that were almost lost:
One is the confidence to win. If you always lose, people will become cowardly. Our players are often criticized for “the club is full of energy, but the national team’s legs are weak at critical moments.” Why? Lack of self-confidence and high psychological pressure. And fighting such a tough battle is like lighting a match in a dark cellar. The light is not big, but it is enough for everyone to see clearly: It turns out that we can still win, and it turns out that we have not collapsed.
The second is the soul of the team. Techniques can be practiced and tactics can be learned, but the energy of 11 people twisting into a rope and gritting their teeth can only be overcome in a life-and-death battle. Just like the “rough guys” of Greece and the “old fried dough sticks” of Inter Milan, what people remember about them is not their gorgeous footwork, but their arrogance of “if you want to pass from here, you have to step over me.”
Therefore, Chinese football must learn to “walk on two legs”: on the youth training field, patiently hone skills, that is for the future; on the competition field, the bus must be put in place, and winning the battle in front of you first is the present. At least, today’s victory can be used to buy some time and patience for tomorrow’s reforms.
5. Use the stupidest method to do the most practical things
Who doesn’t love winning?
That’s why we were so happy when Li Hao shouted, “Winning feels the best.” Because we have held it in for too long, so long that we have become accustomed to disappointment, and so long that we have almost forgotten the taste of winning. This victory was like taking a deep breath after a sap, it was still a little painful, but I finally took this breath.
The U23 boys didn’t make any big ideas. They just used the stupidest method and did the most practical thing: recognize how much they weigh, and then do what they can do to a hundred percent, or even a hundred and twenty percent.
The road is still long and it’s still dark. But at least at this moment, we saw a group of young people who refused to lie down. They told us with their mud and sweat: Don’t talk nonsense, find a way to win first. Win one game and think about the next one.
The feeling of winning is so awesome. But what’s even better than this is that after getting used to losing, we can finally try to believe that the next victory will really come.
Published in: Beijing
