At 15 o'clock on June 27, 2024, the draw for the top 18 of the Asian region of the US-Canada-Mexico World Cup was released!
Grouping: The Chinese men's football team participated in the draw as a fifth-tier team and was finally placed in Group C with Japan, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Indonesia.
Bracket rules: The order of brackets is determined according to the latest FIFA men's national team rankings. Pot 1 to Pot 6 contain 3 teams respectively, with the Chinese men's football team ranked 88th in the world and 13th in Asia, and is included in the fifth pot.
Qualifying Situation Analysis:
Promotion Rules:
- Direct qualification: The top two teams in each group, a total of 6 teams, will receive a direct ticket to the 2026 World Cup.
- Play-off qualification: The six teams that finish third and fourth in the group will advance to the next stage of the play-offs.
- Play-off rules: These 6 teams are divided into two groups of 3 teams each playing a single round-robin match. The top of the group will advance directly, while the two group runners-up will play a play-off, with the winner facing a team from another continent for the final World Cup spot.
Comparison of group strengths:
- The Chinese men's football team is in Group C, which is strong, including Japan in the first pot, Australia in the second pot and Saudi Arabia in the third pot, as well as Bahrain and Indonesia.
- Matches against Japan, Australia and Saudi Arabia will be challenging, but the national team also has a chance to gain an advantage against Bahrain and Indonesia.
Objectives of the national football team:
- In view of the comparison of group strength, the national football team will pragmatically target the top four in the group, that is, try to squeeze out Bahrain and Indonesia to ensure that at least the hope of hitting the World Cup is retained.
- The national football team needs to go all out to win against Bahrain and Indonesia, while adopting a steady strategy against Japan, Australia and Saudi Arabia to aim for a narrow defeat or draw.
Looking Ahead:
- Although the national football team faces strong opponents in the group, there are 8.5 places in the Asian zone, and the scope of qualification has expanded. As long as the national football team can rank fourth in the group, there is still hope of entering the World Cup.
- Over the next two years, the national team will face 10 fierce battles and will need to maintain consistent performances and sustained efforts to achieve its goal of qualifying for the World Cup.
The Chinese men's football team faces a huge challenge in the round of 18, but there are also opportunities. The national team will need to go all out to win against Bahrain and Indonesia, while maintaining solid performances against Japan, Australia and Saudi Arabia. Only in this way can the national football team achieve its goal of entering the World Cup.
Which coach can bring qualitative change to the Chinese men's football team? The answer is: no
The most promising foreign coach is undoubtedly the old man Lippi, whether it is coaching Guangzhou Evergrande or later coaching the Chinese men's football team, Lippi is a worthy choice, let's review:
Analysis of Lippi's performance in coaching Guangzhou Evergrande:
From May 2012 to February 2015, Lippi was the head coach of Guangzhou Evergrande Football Club, where he spent 1,018 days.
During this period, Lippi led Guangzhou Evergrande to a total of 90 games.
In terms of record, Guangzhou Evergrande has achieved a record of 59 wins, 18 draws and 13 losses, with a winning rate of 65.56%.
Under Lippi's leadership, Guangzhou Evergrande won the Chinese Super League in 2012 and 2013.
In 2013, Lippi led Guangzhou Evergrande to become the first Chinese team to win the AFC Champions League.
Analysis of Lippi's performance in coaching the Chinese men's football team:
Lippi coached the Chinese men's national team twice from October 2016 to January 2019 and from May to November 2019.
Under the leadership of Lippi, the Chinese men's football team played a total of 30 matches.
In terms of record, the Chinese men's football team has achieved a record of 11 wins, 8 draws and 11 losses, with a winning rate of 36.67%.
Key Performances:
In the World Cup qualifiers, although the Chinese men's football team has improved, it still failed to achieve the goal of qualifying.
In the Asian Cup, the Chinese men's football team led by Lippi entered the quarterfinals, which is the best result of the national football team in this event in recent years.
Impact & Contribution:
During Lippi's tenure, the Chinese men's football team has significantly improved its technical and tactical level, and the overall strength of the team has also been strengthened.
Lippi also focused on developing young players, such as Wu Lei and Zhang Yuning, who showed good strength in the subsequent games.
Lippi has shown excellent coaching ability when coaching both Guangzhou Evergrande and the Chinese men's football team. At Guangzhou Evergrande, he led the team to a brilliant record and won honor for Chinese football. While coaching the Chinese men's football team, he also brought positive changes to the team and improved the overall strength of the team. However, due to factors such as the overall environment and strength of Chinese football, Lippi failed to achieve higher goals when coaching the Chinese men's football team.
What do you think of the draw for the top 18 of the Chinese men's football team, and where can it be ranked in the group in the end? Leave your thoughts in the comment area!