From the 5:0 Maldives in the first match on September 10, 2019, to 3:1 in the morning Beijing time on the 16th, Syria, the national football team's 645-day World Preliminary Top 40 tour has finally come to an end.
Looking back on the National Football Team’s current World Preliminary Top 40 journey, it can be described as a long life. Fortunately, the National Football team survived the most difficult period. When the final whistle of the battle with Syria sounded, it seemed that everything was worth it.
The national football 3:1 Syria, successfully revenge.
Image Source: Chinese Football Team
May 2019: Lippi enters the palace for the second time
The journey back to the top 40 of the National Football Team should start from Lippi’s second entry in May 2019.
With three months to go before the first match of the top 40 in the Maldives, the national football team, with the return of the famous coach Lippi, finally got on the right track to prepare for the World Cup.
June 2019: Lippi returns to victory in the first battle
Lippi's return to the first game was a friendly match between the national football team and the Philippines.
After a major change of blood and leaving only 9 veterans of the Asian Cup at the beginning of the year, the new national football team kicked off Lippi's return with 2:0.
But what was unpredictable at the time was that it became a turning point in the fate of the national football team when he moved to the world preliminaries four months later to fight the Philippines.
Data map: Lippi in the game.
Image source: Visual China
September 2019: The first round of the National Football World Preliminaries was won
On September 10, 2019, the National Football Team officially embarked on the World Preliminary Tournament, and finally defeated the Maldives team with 5 goals away. The young National Football team is full of vigor and enthusiasm, and it also has a new look.
October 2019: World Cup World Cup Preliminary Tournament at home with a big win
On October 10, 2019, the national football team ushered in the home debut of this world preliminaries, and finally defeated the Guam team 7:0.
Two consecutive victories, the continued increase in morale, covered the hidden worries in the game.
Unexpectedly, after this home game, when the national football team played at home again, 598 days have passed.
Data map: On September 10, 2019, the national football team defeated the Maldives 5:0 in the first round of the world preliminaries.
Image source: Visual China
October 2019: The national football squeezes the Philippines
Five days after the 7-goal victory over Guam, the national football team ushered in a turning point in its destiny.
In the away game against the Philippines, the national football team had an absolute advantage and finally drew 0:0. This draw almost ran out of the national football team’s room for error in the top 40 stage, and laid the groundwork for the subsequent "story". .
November 2019
The national football loses to Syria, Lippi resigns suddenly
On November 14, 2019, the National Football Team ushered in a battle for the top spot in the Syrian team.
Faced with the opponent who basically sent himself out of the last World Preliminary, the National Football team once again lost the game 1:2 in an "unbelievable" way.
However, the own goal at the last moment seems to be accidental but inevitable. The young and thin defense line of the national football team during Lippi's period paid a heavy price.
This defeat made the national football's qualifying situation precarious. Judging from the situation at the time, the national football wants to advance to the top 12 matches. The second half of the 4 games must be won, and there is no room for mistakes.
While in the country, Lippi suddenly announced his resignation at a press conference, and Chinese football suddenly became "a chicken feather" and felt sad in the late autumn.
On November 14, 2019, the national football team lost 1:2 away to Syria. Lippi announced his resignation after the game.
Image source: Visual China
January 2020: Li Tie becomes the new coach of the national football team
After passing the internship period of leading the national football selection team to compete in the East Asian Cup at the end of 2019, Li Tie finally officially took office at the beginning of the next year, and the national football officially entered the "iron family army" era.
With the original match against the Maldives in March, it can be said that time is tight and the task is heavy.
March 2020: World preliminaries postponed under the epidemic
The sudden outbreak of the epidemic caused the world sports to press the pause button, and the second half of the World Preliminary Top 40 that was originally opened in March 2020 was postponed.
Although the original rhythm was disrupted, it also gave the turbulent national football some valuable breathing time.
On January 5, 2020, the inaugural meeting of the Chinese men's football head coach was held in Beijing, and Li Tie made his official appearance.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Han Haidan
March 2021
The remaining games of the top 40 of the national football team are determined to be held in Suzhou
After the second half of the World Preliminary 40 Finals was postponed again and again under the epidemic, it was finally confirmed that it will be held in Suzhou from May 31 to June 15.
The national football team should have three home courts in the second half. After a lot of effort, all the remaining games of the group's top 40 stage will be played in Suzhou, which also provides a boost for the national football team's impact on the top 12.
May 30, 2021
After a lapse of 563 days, the national football team won the world preliminaries again
On May 30, the national football team, which returned to the world preliminaries after 563 days and returned to the home field after 598 days, won 7-0 in the game against Guam.
Li Tie, who had been in office for a year and a half, also led the team to a big victory in his first show as he wished.
On May 30, the national football team had a 7-0 victory over Guam at home.
Image source: Visual China
May 31, 2021: National Football World Preliminaries forced to change home
While people were still celebrating the victory of the national football team, feeling the return of the long-lost home atmosphere, on May 31, the Chinese Football Association announced that the home game of the national football team was forced to change from Suzhou to Sharjah, UAE.
This helpless decision was mainly due to the outbreak of epidemics in the Maldives and Syria teams. According to the relevant domestic regulations on the prevention and control of the epidemic situation of immigrants, the Maldives and Syria teams must be strictly isolated for entry and cannot participate in the competition as scheduled.
After losing the home court, the national football schedule was also forced to adjust. The original third game against the Philippines was changed to the second game, and the opportunity to practice against the Maldives was lost.
On June 8, the National Football Team defeated the Philippines 2-0, and Wu Lei broke the deadlock.
Image source: Visual China
June 8, 2021: National Football Team beats the Philippines
The battle with the Philippines on June 8 has a bearing on the fate of the national football team in the top 40.
To retain the hope of advancing to the top 12, the national football team must win the opponent.
If a tie will face an extremely unfavorable situation, if you lose, you will basically be out.
In such a crucial game, the national football team defeated the opponent 2:0, continuing the hope of qualifying for the top 40.
June 12, 2021
The national football team beats the Maldives with five goals, three consecutive wins in the World Preliminaries
In the battle against the Maldives, the country was able to rotate the lineup to meet, and finally defeated the opponent 5:0. While winning 3 consecutive world preliminaries, it further grasped the initiative to qualify for the top 40.
At the end of the war in Syria, you can qualify after a tie.
June 16, 2021
National Football 3:1 Syria, advance to the top 12
In the final round of the World Preliminary 40 at 2:00 am Beijing time on the 16th, with Wu Lei's pass and Zhang Xizhe and Zhang Yuning's goals, the national football team defeated Syria 3-1 and successfully advanced to the top 12 stage.
The twists and turns of the game is like a microcosm of the top 40 stage.
(Author Bian Liqun)