Xiamen, October 10 (Reporter Bian Liqun) "Our teams in the same group are very strong, the level is comparable, we will unite together and play our own level." At the press conference before the women's Olympic preliminary round on the afternoon of the 25th, Chinese women's football coach Shui Qingxia said.

At 26:19 on the 35th, the Chinese women's football team will sit at home to face the North Korean women's football team, and the first match will be the decisive match based on the group situation of the Olympic preliminary round.

The Chinese women's team wants to compete for the top spot in the group, and the North Korean women's team is the main rival, so the result of this match will have a decisive impact on the Chinese women's team's journey to the Paris Olympics.

The four team managers pose for a group photo during the pre-match press conference. China News Network reporter Bian Liqun

Break through the "Death Group"

In the second stage of the Olympic preliminary round, the Chinese women's football team, which was listed as the first team, was in the same group as the South Korean women's football team, the Thai women's football team and the North Korean women's football team, and was the most difficult "death group" of the three groups to qualify.

It stands to reason that top Asian teams like North Korea and South Korea should be opponents that Chinese women's football will only face in the final stages of the Olympic qualifiers. However, the previous unsatisfactory signing in the group made the Chinese women's football team have to start the decisive battle for the Paris Olympics in the second stage.

According to the rules, the first place in the three groups and the second place in the best group can advance to the third stage for the final competition for qualification for the Paris Olympics.

For the Chinese women's team, the goal is clear, that is, to compete for the first place in the group and directly qualify, if it is ranked second in the group, it is difficult for the Chinese women's football team to become the best team in the situation of three groups.

At the pre-match press conference, because the managers of the four teams attended together, the answers about the preparation and the game were more conservative, but without exception they all mentioned the "death group", Chinese women's football team Shui Qingxia said: "The level of the same group of teams is comparable, we will unite together and play our own level." ”

The Chinese women's football team in pre-match training. Photo by China News Network reporter Bian Liqun

Players who stay in the ocean need to adjust their bodies

After a short break after the Hangzhou Asian Games, the Chinese women's football team previously opened training in Xiamen on the 11th, and the foreign player Wang Shuang was finally missing due to injury, and two young overseas players Shen Monroe and Tu Linli reinforced the team, plus the returning Wang Yanwen, the Chinese women's football team was further rejuvenated.

Shui Qingxia revealed that Wang Yanwen was unable to train for a period of time due to a back injury and failed to participate in the World Cup and Asian Games with the team, and she is currently outstanding in the league, so she returned to the team.

Regarding the team's preparation and the situation of overseas players, Shui Qingxia said that although the number of teams was a little insufficient at first, the team trained well, "There are advantages and disadvantages to overseas players, before they participated in club competitions overseas, Wu Chengshu, who arrived at the latest in the team, even arrived yesterday (24th) evening, so the run-in was not as smooth as before." ”

"However, when they play games at the club, they are just physically tired, and the pace of the game is still okay, and the most important thing for them now is the adjustment of their body, which does not have much impact on the team's technical and tactical aspects." Shui Qingxia said.

Xiamen Bailu Stadium, the venue for the Chinese women's Olympic Preliminary Tournament. Photo by China News Network reporter Bian Liqun

The first battle is a decisive battle

The Chinese women's football team's first opponent, the North Korean women's football team, has rarely appeared in the international arena in recent years, and they still maintain good strength after completing the upgrade. In the previous Hangzhou Asian Games 1/4 final, the North Korean women's football team defeated the South Korean women's football team 4:1, but when facing the Japanese women's football team in the final, it still reflected a certain gap, and finally lost 1:4.

As Shui Qingxia said before the match, the strength of the Chinese women's football team and the North Korean women's football team is not much different. In this case, anything is possible in the game. Therefore, the important thing is the player's presence and the arrangement of techniques and tactics.

Chinese women's football team during pre-match training. Photo by China News Network reporter Bian Liqun

Before the game, North Korea coach Li Weiyi was very low-key, he just said: "The Chinese team is a very strong team, this is an important game, we will take this game as an opportunity to familiarize ourselves with and understand the tactics and skills of the Chinese team, so as to facilitate some preparation for the future." ”

On the evening of the 25th, the Chinese women's football team held the last practice before the match in the outfield of Bailu Stadium, and all 22 players finally arrived.

Judging from the training atmosphere, the overall is not bad, and fun training is set up at the beginning of the training, and there is continuous laughter on the field. I hope that after this decisive battle of "May Five", the women's football girls will still have bright smiles on their faces. (End)