Li Tie’s history chasers relishing final challenge
Team China faces a daunting task to reach the 2022 World Cup finals in Qatar after being drawn alongside Japan, Australia and Saudi Arabia in the final phase of Asian zone qualifying. Head coach Li Tie, however, described the draw as “really good”, vowing his players would give their all in Group B, which also features Oman and Vietnam.
“We will try our best to play well in each match,” said Li. “Due to the pandemic, we haven’t played any quality friendlies for over a year, so I hope before the final stage of Asian qualification, we can have some quality matches. We have so many Chinese fans, which means great support but also pressure for us.”
Iran, South Korea, the United Arab Emirates, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon make up Group A following Thursday’s draw in Kuala Lumpur.
Japan, Australia and the Saudis all featured at the last World Cup in Russia, and China captain Wu Xi is expecting a tough challenge as the nation bids to qualify for the tournament for the first time since its debut in 2002.
“All teams in Group B are competitive, and we shouldn’t take any of them lightly. But first and foremost, we have to secure victories over Vietnam and Oman,” said the skipper.
China will open its campaign against Australia on Sept 2 before taking on Japan five days later.
Each group winner and runnerup will qualify for the finals in Qatar, with the third-placed teams advancing to a playoff. The winner of that tie will face an intercontinental opponent in a final playoff for a World Cup spot. Group matches are scheduled to conclude by March, with the first playoff slated for June.
China reached the final phase after showing signs of improvement in the latter stage of the second phase of qualifying.
Li’s first official match in charge was last month’s 7-0 rout of Guam in front of 30,000 spectators in Suzhou, Jiangsu province, before the remaining Group A matches were switched from Suzhou to Sharjah, UAE, after coronavirus cases were detected in two rival squads.
Despite the loss of home advantage, Li’s men earned victories over the Philippines (2-0), the Maldives (5-0) and Group A leader Syria (3-1) in the UAE to secure a spot in the final phase of qualifying.
“No matter who we play against, I think the fact that Team China managed to enter the final phase is pretty encouraging for soccer fans in the country. It has also boosted our confidence,” Team China goalkeeper Yan Junling told Chinese publication Soccer News.
“Now everyone in the team wants to try their best to see if we have any chance of reaching the World Cup finals. We have a chance, even against the strong teams.
“We also need to see how much of a gap there is between us and those top Asian teams. With the right tactics, we will see if we have chances to beat those teams. We will win the games we are expected to win and try our best in the tougher challenges. So we can see if we have improved from four years ago.”
China was a fourth seed in Thursday’s draw, conducted by the Asian Football Confederation, with Japan and Iran placed in the first pot as the top seeds.
“Asian soccer has changed a lot. While the strong teams have been developing fast, the weak teams have also made many changes, among which the biggest difference is the addition of naturalized players,” Yan added.
“We noticed several of the Philippines’ players actually spoke Spanish. With these naturalized additions, these teams are now a different proposition.
“We also have naturalized players, and they are very important to us. They are all outstanding and they are helping the growth of domestic players. Since joining the national team, they have become one of us. We are good friends on and off the pitch. Everyone can see their strength on the pitch and it will take more time for them to show more of their potential.”
Brazil-born strikers Ai Kesen (aka Elkeson) and Alan both hit the net in China’s recent qualifiers, while England-born defender Jiang Guangtai (aka Tyias Browning) has shown a degree of consistency at the back.
Homegrown ace Wu Lei, however, upstaged the imports by netting five times and laying on two assists in the last four games. The 29-year-old, who plays for La Liga club Espanyol, is expected to be key to China’s chances in the coming games.
“We have achieved our first goal and our next goal is to qualify for the World Cup finals. Time is limited and I hope the entire team can maintain this momentum,” Wu said.
“We need to have faith and believe in ourselves. Reaching the World Cup finals is the dream for all soccer fans in China. We will try our best.”