In the final round of the East Asia Cup held on the evening of the 26th, Beijing time, the Chinese women's football team drew 0:0 with the Japanese women's football team, ending the East Asia Cup with a record of 1 win and 2 draws, and won the runner-up.

　　Although it failed to win a championship trophy again after half a year, but for the Chinese women's football team, this year's East Asia Cup is also a full harvest.

More importantly, it has further accumulated confidence to move forward.

Chinese women's football captain Wang Shanshan (right) during the game.

Image source: IC photo

　　In the first two rounds, the Chinese women's football team achieved 1 win and 1 draw, 2:0 Chinese Taipei and 1:1 draw with the South Korean women's football team.

The opponent, the Japanese women's football team, won 2 games and ranked first.

　　Because in the earlier opening game, the Korean women's football team 4-0 Chinese Taipei women's football team ranked second with the advantage of goal difference.

　　Therefore, if the Chinese women's football team wants to win the championship in this campaign, they must win.

The Chinese women's football team in the East Asia Cup match against the South Korean women's football team.

Image source: IC photo

　　Compared with shouting for the championship before the Asian Cup, coach Shui Qingxia did not put forward a clear performance goal in this East Asian Cup, but pinned his hopes on the old players to maintain a good state, young players self-affirmation, and the three generations of old, middle-aged and young. Players can play their own level to the extreme.

　　This is by no means losing the pursuit of honor, nor is it making excuses for the team, but the Chinese women's football team has indeed reached a point where it is time to further adjust and upgrade.

　　Judging from the first two games, it is basically in line with Shui Qingxia's positioning and goals for the team in this East Asian Cup.

Wang Shuang, who had been shunned for a long time due to injury, made a comeback. Tang Jiali, who had ended her overseas study, further adjusted her state. Young teenagers Zhang Linyan and Wang Linlin also received further training.

　　The two "post-00s" helped the Chinese women's football team to score goals in consecutive games, which further built their confidence.

The Chinese women's football team in the East Asia Cup match against the Japanese women's football team.

Image source: IC photo

　　The opponent of this game, Japan, is the strongest team in this East Asian Cup, which can be fully demonstrated from the world rankings, ranking 13th in the world, while the Chinese women's football team ranks 16th in the world.

　　The Chinese women's football team does not have an advantage in the competition between the two sides. In the past 5 matches, they have 1 win and 4 losses. The victory was the Asian Cup semi-final at the beginning of this year. The Chinese women's football team scored a tie goal in overtime and He defeated his opponent 4:3 in a penalty shootout, advanced to the final, and finally won the cup as he wished.

The Chinese women's football team won the Asian Cup.

　　In the East Asia Cup after half a year, the Chinese women's football team and the rival Japanese women's football team have changed nearly half of the players in the starting lineup, but basically maintained the main frame.

　　From the perspective of the process of the game, it is also more in line with the strength of both sides.

　　In the opening stage, the Japanese team playing at home was relatively dominant, and they frequently attacked the Chinese team. In the opening 20 minutes, they made 4 very threatening attacks, but they were not ideal in grasping opportunities and did not translate into goals.

　　Although the Chinese women's football team is relatively passive, after the adjustment of the two games, the overall cooperation, pressing and game rhythm have obviously improved.

　　The team also did not miss an absolute opportunity. For example, in the 26th minute, Wang Shuang sent a delicate through ball, and Zhang Rui's pass in the penalty area was blocked.

　　In the 44th minute, the Chinese women's football team counterattacked, and then cooperated after playing a subtle cooperation. Wang Shanshan broke into the penalty area, and the threatening cross was resolved by the opponent's goalkeeper.

　　In the second half, the two sides continued to fight and failed to rewrite the score in the end.

Data map: Chinese women's football team in the 2019 Women's World Cup.

Image credit: Osports All Sports Photo Agency.

　　After the East Asia Cup, the Chinese women's football team will go to the United States for a month of training and competitions to further polish the team's technical and tactical skills and prepare for next year's Women's World Cup.

　　Since the outbreak of the epidemic, the Chinese women's football team has had very little opportunities for high-quality warm-up training internationally.

From the 2021 Women's Football Olympics preliminaries, the Tokyo Olympic Games, to the 2022 Asian Cup, the team is preparing for the game under the condition of long-term closed training and internal warm-up in China.

　　Including this East Asian Cup match, the Chinese women's football team entered the international arena again after half a year, and played relatively high-quality matches with Japan and South Korea, and made visible progress.

　　Although in the first two games, the overall cooperation and state of the Chinese women's football team were somewhat unsatisfactory, especially compared with the team that won the Asian Cup at the beginning of the year, there was a slight gap, and there were some doubts from the outside world.

But for the Chinese women's football team, which is in the process of adjustment, it is normal.

　　After all, the two key players Wang Shuang and Tang Jiali didn't play much time, and they also gave more young players opportunities in the midfield and backcourt.

　　Moreover, when the game is not going well, the team can quickly reverse the situation through personnel adjustment.

The starting lineup of the Chinese women's football team vs. Japan's women's football team.

Image source: China Women's Football Official Weibo

　　For the Chinese women's football team, the more important stage is still on the international stage such as the World Cup and the Olympic Games, which requires sufficient reserves and polishing in a 4-year cycle.

　　At the beginning of this cycle, the Chinese women's football team has already won the Asian Cup, and they are further exploring young players in the East Asian Cup.

　　And it can be seen that there is still a lot of room and room for improvement in the future.

Under the leadership of Shui Qingxia, the Chinese women's football team is on the right track.

　　We can have more confidence in the current Chinese women's football team.

(Reporter Bian Liqun),