Killed! The national football team lost 1-2 to Saudi Arabia

Chinese football, a name that carries the dreams of hundreds of millions of fans, has been smashed on the reef of reality again and again. On the evening of September 10, in the second round of Group C of the 2026 World Cup Asian Qualifiers Round of 18, the Chinese team sat at the Barracuda Bay Stadium in Dalian to face the old rival Saudi Arabia. In the end, the national football team was reversed with a score of 1-2 when it was once in the lead, and once again swallowed the bitter fruit of defeat.

The process of this game, like a microcosm of Chinese football over the years, was full of hope, disappointment, struggle and helplessness. Only 14 minutes into the opening game, Fernando's corner kick created an own goal for the Saudi team, and the national football team got off to a dream start. Five minutes later, Saudi Arabian player Kano's violent foul on Jiang Shenglong made the opponent receive a red card, and the national football team once saw the dawn of victory. The gap in strength and psychological fragility made this Chinese team unable to grasp its fate in the end.

Before the end of the first half, the Saudi Arabians equalised from a corner and then did the same in the second half. Throughout the game, the national football team has an advantage in data such as ball possession rate and pass success rate, but there is an obvious gap with the opponent in the handling of key balls and the grasp of opportunities. What's even more worrying is that with the opponent playing with one less player, the national football team did not show the dominance it should have in the second half, but was seized by the opponent and scored twice with set-pieces.

This defeat once again pushed Chinese football to the forefront of public opinion. The disappointment of fans, the doubts of the media, and the criticism of experts came like a tidal wave. It is true that Chinese football has experienced too many failures over the years, and every hope seems to be dashed in the next moment. But should we just give up and let Chinese football sink on this land?

The answer is clearly no. The problems of Chinese football did not form overnight, nor can they be completely solved by winning one or two games. What we need is calm thinking, rational analysis, and perseverance. From player training to league construction, from tactical concepts to mental outlook, Chinese football needs all-round reform and improvement.

The good news is that we're already seeing some positive signs. More and more outstanding young players have emerged, injecting fresh blood into Chinese football. The Chinese Football Association is also actively exploring and trying to find a suitable development path for Chinese football.

Rome was not built in a day, and the road to the revival of Chinese football is destined to be full of thorns. But as long as we don't give up hope and hard work, I believe that one day, Chinese football can truly rise and realize our common dream.

Looking back on this game, we see the hope of Chinese football, but also the gap. The hope lies in the fact that this young national football team has shown a fighting spirit and a certain technical and tactical level; The gap is that there is still a big gap between us and the top teams in Asia.

There is still a long way to go, and there is still a lot to be done in Chinese football. Let us look forward to the early recovery of Chinese football from the trough and back to the top of Asia.