Asian Games Men's Football: China U23 vs Qatar U23! Is Qatar really that strong or just an illusion? Is the Chinese team secure?

Let's start with today's first match.Asian Games Men's Football: China U23 vs Qatar U23!

Some Chinese fans might not be optimistic because Qatar's football fame is increasing.

Their world ranking has reached 59th, higher than China’s 80th, and they are indeed strong; they beat Mexico in this July’s Gold Cup.

Their U23 squad also seems strong, as earlier this month in the AFC U23 Championship, they won 2-0 away against South Korea U23, which looks intimidating.

But I want to share some facts that might show they are not as scary as they seem.

Qatar’s senior national team is quite powerful,but this Qatar U23 team is a completely different story.

Their U23 team was formed not specifically for this Asian Games but with the 2024 Olympics in mind.

So what does this mean?

All their players were born after 2001, meaning they are all under 22 years old.

Not a single overage player, and some are even 18 or 19 years old.

Therefore, their average age is only about 21.

In the match against Japan,only two starters were 22 years old, and the starting lineup’s average age was 20.5.

Japan scored three goals against Qatar – is that because Japan is too strong?

Probably not.

Due to clubs not releasing players,Japan also brought players all born after 2001, and these were mostly their third or fourth choice squads among those age groups.

Many strong players did not come, such as the U20 Asian Cup Golden Boot winner Kumada Naoki and top J2 League player Fujio Shota.

Among the 22 players Japan brought,10 are students, not professional players.

Yet even with this, they managed to score three goals against Qatar.

But when Japan played Palestine, they performed poorly and couldn’t show their strength. Why?

Modern football places huge importance on physicality,and a 24-year-old player generally has better physical strength than many Japanese players just over 20 years old.

Japan’s world ranking is far higher than Palestine’s, yet they still played so poorly.

So, what about China playing Qatar today?

We take this Asian Games very seriously.

This time, we brought 5 players aged 23, 6 players aged 24, plus 3 overage players, basically all the best eligible players.

Therefore, in the first round against India,our starting eleven’s average age was 24.8 years, 4.3 years older than Qatar’s.

This age gap reflects not only differences in physicality and skills but also a huge experience gap.

All our players are from the Chinese Super League, many of whom are absolute key players.

As for Qatar,

their league has many foreign players, limiting opportunities for local players.

Also, some players are very young, 18 or 19, and not yet at the required level.

So many of their players lack professional match experience.

Players with several seasons of professional experience versus those without can show a big difference in knockout matches.

Moreover, we must consider match fitness.

Our Chinese Super League has completed 26 rounds, so our players are in good form.

Qatar, however, has only played 4 rounds, and many players left their clubs early to participate in the AFC U23 Championship, so their match fitness is questionable.

Although they looked strong in the AFC U23 Championship, beating South Korea 2-0, there is some context to consider.

They had already qualified in advance,so matches against them were not taken seriously by opponents, and results didn’t matter.In a brutal schedule of three matches in seven days, they likely took it easy, treating those matches as rest.

So the situation is clear.

While Qatar’s senior national team is strong, this Qatar U23 team is a different matter, with no real aim to achieve results at the Asian Games.

As hosts, our team’s fighting spirit is very clear, and we brought the best players.

With a four-year age advantage, can the Chinese team satisfy fans? What do you think? I hope the Chinese team can defeat this “paper tiger.”

Alright, for today’s other matches, I will still provide written analysis for you this evening. If anything is unclear, feel free to ask me. “Watch football and understand it” — see you then!

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