Dongtai: The progress shown by the Chinese women s football team is very valuable, and Wang Shuang is still indispensable to this team

East Asian Cup Women's Football Team, the Chinese women's football team won the runner-up. When writing an article about the team's performance, Oriental Sports Daily believed that the progress shown by the team is very valuable and looking forward is still expected.

started in the East Asian Cup Women's Football Championship in 2005. The Chinese team has participated eight times before, with the best results being the two runner-ups in 2010 and 2022. Therefore, the Football Association may have requirements for the results of the Chinese women's football team participating in this East Asian Cup, but the outside world has not given too high expectations. From this perspective, the runner-up won this time is considered a qualified one, and in addition to the results, there are also some surprises.

Although many main players of the Japanese team were absent in this East Asian Cup, they are still considered to be the strongest among the four teams. The South Korean team has been improving in recent years and has a host advantage. The Chinese team is a young team. The new coach has just arrived for a year and many newcomers have joined the team. It is understandable that they are not optimistic about it. But the players got a draw against South Korea and Japan, and the scene was not inferior, so such a runner-up could be completely acceptable.

Judging from the entire process of the game, the Chinese team is showing an upward momentum. Although the final match with Japan was the most difficult, the Chinese team played at its best level since the start of the game. Not only do you dare to fight and fight, but you have the spirit of "bayonet fighting" every time you fight directly, but you are not at a disadvantage on both offense and defense. The mistakes made in the first two games were almost wiped out, and the frontcourt can also pose enough threat to your opponent. Such progress in the competition is commendable for any young team. In terms of technology and tactics, although the Chinese team has a different level of cooperation than Japan and South Korea, it is also bright. On the attack line, high center forward Shao Ziqin will be able to be among the top in Asia for many years in the future. Wu Haiyan on the defense line is becoming more and more leader, and Wang Yanwen and Shen Mengyu, the overseas-based combination, have also gradually improved their control over the midfield. In addition, young players Wang Aifang, Huo Yuexin and Pan Hongyan have all shown good potential, and the training in this competition will also accelerate their growth.

Milisic, who took office in May last year, underwent the first official test in this East Asian Cup. The results are acceptable, but there is still a lot of room for improvement. One year is not enough to transform the Chinese women's football team, but it should have performed better, especially in terms of technology and tactics. Difficulties exist, but the coach’s duty is to solve them.

But just as Milicic said after the game, the entire team will face the impact of the National Games next. "We must understand this." Milicic said, "We can only determine the plan afterwards, based on the physical and psychological state of the players." After taking over the team, he has faced injuries and fatigue of important players. "Like Yao Wei, Wang Shuang, Zhang Linyan... they need a lot of training after their return, so they missed some games. We also have overseas players, and now is their offseason. After the National Games are successfully over, we will spend some time working together. I think we can lead a strong team to participate in the Asian Cup."

The Japanese women's football team, with many talents, although many main players are absent due to injuries, their overall strength has not had much impact. The South Korean team is slightly inferior, but it is brave enough to speed up the updates. There are gaps in both aspects of the Chinese women's football team, but after training in this "East Asia Cup", they should also take small steps to speed up and catch up.

The most dazzling star in this East Asian Cup should be Shao Ziqin, not just because she won the Best Scorer honor with three goals. Shao Ziqin is "far ahead" in Asia at a height of 1.79 meters, but she is not bulky, but she is very flexible and has the excellent heading skills she is looking forward to. In addition to heading, Shao Ziqin's fulcrum ability as the center forward is also outstanding. During the game, you can often see Shao Ziqin turning around and break through with the ball. What is even more commendable is that Shao Ziqin did not spare any effort to run for the team throughout the game, which has well inherited the spirit of the Chinese women's football team.

Also worthy of recognition are Huo Yuexin and Wang Aifang. The 20-year-old Huo Yuexin did not make her mark in the national team until this year's East Asian Cup. Wang Aifang is one year younger than Huo Yuexin, but he took the lead in his debut against Japan and was arranged to form a double midfielder with Yao Wei in the midfield. Milicic is very bold, but Wang Aifang's performance proves his vision.

Goalkeeper Pan Hongyan grew up quickly like Huo Yuexin and Wang Aifang. Although some mistakes were made in the first game against South Korea and were questioned by the outside world, as Milicic said, she was still young, "and she needs to give her another chance..." In a key match with Japan, Milicic gave her a chance again. Although Pan Hongyan still has flaws, her performance is obviously much better than the first match.

In addition to several members of the National Youth Team, Milicic also gave a "veteran" the opportunity to make his national team debut, which is 28-year-old Lu Yatong. Among the Middle Zodiac players, 26-year-old Wang Yanwen and 23-year-old Shen Mengyu both brought surprises. It is worth mentioning that Song Duan, her several shots after appearing on the bench were of high quality, which can enrich the team's tactical choices. But it must also be seen that several veterans with 30+ in the team are also time to gradually withdraw.

The 30+ veterans participating in this East Asian Cup include Tang Jiali, Wang Shuang, Zhang Xin, Li Mengwen and Wu Haiyan. Among them, Wu Haiyan, 32, is the oldest, but she performs the best, and she can still use her remaining energy for several years. In contrast, Tang Jiali, Zhang Xin and Li Mengwen may give young people more opportunities in the future. Because of the injury, Wang Shuang is far from her best condition, but she can feel that she is also trying to recover. What’s important is that Milicic still attaches great importance to her. Wang Shuang is still indispensable to this team, and her experience can also help young teammates grow.