On the 1st, Beijing time, the result of the draw for the top 12 of the 2022 Qatar World Cup qualifiers in the Asian region was announced. The national football team will finally be in the same group with Japan, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Vietnam.

In general, the national football team has drawn a good lottery.

The top 12 groupings.

Image source: AFC official Weibo

  Why is the draw result relatively optimistic?

It is mainly reflected in the teams that need the national football to score points stably. Oman was drawn in fifth gear and avoided Syria.

  In the sixth tranche, the national football team won Vietnam, which has not had the experience of the top 12 games, and avoided Lebanon, which is more physically fit.

  In the third tier, Saudi Arabia is an old opponent of the national football team. In the recent match, the two sides were evenly divided, with 2 wins, 2 draws and 2 losses.

In the most recent confrontation, the national football team defeated their opponents 1-0 in the 2015 Asian Cup group stage.

In the top 40 of the World Preliminaries, the national football team defeated Syria 3-1.

  As for Australia in the second gear, to a certain extent, it is more advantageous than against South Korea. In the past 4 matches, the national football team has achieved 2 wins, 1 draw and 1 loss. However, in the 2015 Asian Cup quarter-finals, the national football team had 0:2 lost to the opponent.

  In the first tier, the national football team was drawn to Japan. Compared with Iran, which had a draw and even had a chance to win in the last World Preliminaries, the result of this draw was slightly unfavorable.

  However, for the national football team, the first-tier teams that are significantly better than the national football team are basically not in the category of direct competitors of the national football team, and the impact is not large.

But if you can score points on the opponent, it will definitely give the national football team the upper hand in the competition in the same group.

In general, if you want to enter the World Cup, the national football's stable win of Oman and Vietnam is the foundation, and the direct and decisive impact is more of the matches with Australia and Saudi Arabia.

In the top 12 matches, Wu Lei's performance is still vital to the national football team.

  Of course, as a fourth-tier national football team, it is indeed very difficult to climb over these mountains, but there is no need to look down on yourself or be too pessimistic.

  Football matches have always been full of uncertainty, and strength is the most important factor in determining the outcome, but luck, on-the-spot performance, and team cohesion are also the keys to victory.

National football forward Alan celebrated his goal in the game.

Image source: Visual China

  In the top 40 stage, it can be seen that the national football team is good in terms of mental outlook and cohesion. Wu Lei, the core of the team in overseas Spain, has further strengths, plus Jiang Guangtai, Alan, Exon, Fernando, and Li Ke. With reinforcements, the national football team has steadily improved in terms of strength, all of which have become a guarantee for the World Cup places.

  Especially against direct competitors such as Australia and Saudi Arabia, the national football team is not completely without opportunities.

In the World Preliminary Round 40 of the Asian region, the national football team defeated the Maldives 5:0.

Image source: Visual China

  The last 12 finals was the first time that the national football team entered the 12 finals after 15 years after qualifying for the World Cup in Korea and Japan, and was in the same group with South Korea, Iran, Syria, Uzbekistan, and Qatar.

  In the first game against South Korea, the country was enough to lose 2:3.

In the game, the Chinese football team scored two consecutive goals within three minutes, and also launched a continuous siege against South Korea, but in the end regretted not being able to get back one point.

  In the second game against Iran at home, the national football team was 0-0, and Wu Lei lost a single-handedly in the game.

  Since then, the goalkeeper Gu Chao made a huge mistake in the home game between the National Football Team and Syria, and unfortunately lost the game 0:1.

The away game against Uzbekistan, the national football team lost 0:2.

On March 23, 2017, in the top 12 of the World Preliminaries, the Korean national football team 1:0, stubbornly retained the hope of qualifying.

Photo by China News Agency reporter Yang Huafeng

  After that, Lippi took over the national football coach. After taking office, the national football first drew with Qatar 0:0, and then beat South Korea 1:0 at home, grabbing the key 3 points.

However, in the crucial battle, Syria was tied 2:2 in the away game, and lost the precious three-pointers that were about to be obtained.

  With only theoretically possible to qualify, the national football team still beat Uzbekistan 1-0 and Qatar 2:1 away.

  In the end, the national football team achieved 3 wins, 3 draws and 4 losses in the top 12 stage, ranking 5th with 12 points, only 3 points away from the South Korean team who directly qualified second, and third from the group that won the play-off place, Syria. There is only one point difference.

  In other words, if the two games with Syria were played well, the national football team would have more hope to appear in the Russian World Cup.

  The various regretful experiences at that time also reminded the current "Iron Army".

On June 13, 2017, the national football away game was tied 2:2 by Syria. There is only theoretical hope for entering the World Cup in Russia.

Image source: Visual China

  In the previous top 40 stage, the two rounds of the national football against Syria can be regarded as a top 12 matchup, but in these two games, the national football still has low-level errors leading to the loss of the ball.

  Under the high intensity of the top twelve stage, when competing with teams of similar strength, this kind of mistake is often fatal, and it is a great blow to morale.

  And whether the slightly thin midfielder in the top 40 can withstand the test of a stronger level, a question mark must be drawn.

  Judging from the last 12 finals, the ability of the national football team to fight away is still lacking, with only 1 win, 1 draw and 3 losses.

Under the epidemic situation, the national football team must be prepared in this regard after being forced to lose the home court in the top 40 stage.

The national football is in the game.

Image source: IC photo

  According to the current schedule, the national football team will play away to Australia in the first match of the top 12 on September 2. The first home game on September 7 will face the strongest Japan in the same group, and the national football team can compete with the top 40 in the initial stage Isaiah’s power leveling is different. When it comes to the top 12, it will be a decisive battle at the beginning.

  I hope that the national football team can continue the previous momentum of perseverance and unity, 10 games, and go all out. Perhaps the end of the road to Qatar's World Cup is a surprise.

Chinese football, come on!

(Author Bian Liqun)