Where did Korea's overwhelming performance go?→Self-proclaimed golden generation, dissatisfied with the defeat against Saudi Arabia and exploded in criticism!It's as serious as the adult national team

Apr 05, 2025

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China's U-17 (under 17) national soccer team collapsed from the first game, raising criticism.

China's Sohu Dotcom reported on the 5th (Korea time) 'A famous commentator criticized after the defeat of the Chinese U-17 team'

China's U-17 national team lost 1-2 to Saudi Arabia in the first Group A match of the 2025 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-17 Asian Cup at Kingpad Sports City Stadium in Taip, Saudi Arabia on the 4th.

The Asian Cup is a competition to determine which countries will participate in the FIFA U-17 World Cup, which is scheduled to be held in Qatar in November, and eight teams from 16 countries participating in the group qualifying round will advance to the World Cup. China was included in Group A along with Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan, and Thailand.

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China entered the game with expectations of the game, but it was not enough to overcome Saudi Arabia. In the 11th minute of the first half, China slipped in the process of handling the ball by Ihesan Ilamu, dedicating a decisive opportunity to opponent striker Abdulhadi Matari. Matari took the lead by finishing his shot precisely into the Chinese goal. Saudi Arabia widened the gap with an additional goal by Osama al-Dagmah in extra time in the first half.

Throughout the second half, China was dragged around by Saudi Arabia and rarely made a threatening attack. Wei Xiangxin's comeback goal in the second half of the extra time was chased, but the game had already been on the edge of Saudi Arabia.

China was not seen in a draw with South Korea last year. China's U-17 national team also showed better-than-expected performance by winning a 2-2 draw against South Korea during the U-17 Asian Cup qualifiers last year. There were also high expectations that it could become a golden generation. Coach Kenichi Uemura, who leads the U-17, also praised the development of Chinese youth several times, expressing expectations that the players who play in the national team by age can grow further.

Photo=AFC homepage capture

However, he lost the game with a frustrating appearance and was inundated with criticism. Sohu pointed out that each and every statement made after the match by famous commentator Hwang Jianxiang was a fact. Huang Jianxiang said of the Chinese national team, `The same coach, the same player, the same team, but the team that dominated Korea in the group stage in just a few months has now turned into a team that kicks the ball without rules or opportunities. We're back to the Chinese senior team we've been familiar with for decades," he said, drawing criticism.

Then "We have to abandon the lineup now. The situation is worse than the senior national team. There is no cooperation, no skills, poor passes, and lack of passion. Looks lazy and sloppy. He looks like an adult national team with no hope at all" he pointed out.

China, which has received tremendous criticism, will seek to recover its honor in the second Group A match against Uzbekistan on the 7th. If it loses to Uzbekistan, it will be virtually impossible to advance to the U-17 World Cup, so China will have to put everything into it.

This article was translated by Naver AI translator.