Chapter 167: Group 1

The Chinese team defeated Saudi Arabia with a score of 4-0 in the first round of the group stage, and due to the other game in this group, Uzbekistan defeated North Korea 1-0, and the Chinese team temporarily topped the group with the advantage of goal difference.

China's opponent in the second group stage was Uzbekistan.

In terms of strength, the stronger opponent in this group is this team from Central Asia. This team relies on the heritage left over from the Soviet era, after the Soviet breakup, Uzbekistan has obtained a Soviet legacy that is not as good as that of Russia and Ukraine, but it is not to be underestimated, especially the youth training system established during the Soviet era, which has been maintained by the football department of Uzbekistan to this day.

Although Uzbekistan's football style still seems to be stuck in the eighties and nineties of the last century, which is somewhat incompatible with the rapid development of modern football, a team with a mature system and combat effectiveness can never be ignored.

In the second round of the group stage, two teams with three points will face each other directly, which will be a key battle to determine the trend of this group. Neither side dared to be careless.

Needless to say, the Uzbek side has put on the strongest squad and is trying to win.

On the Chinese team's side, Lippi also made personnel adjustments in only one position, and Hao Junmin from Shandong replaced Cai Hui and appeared in the starting lineup.

And captain Zheng Zhi is still firmly on the bench.

In Lippi's view, Zheng Zhi can certainly play a big role for the team on the field, but when Zheng Zhi has just recovered from injury, he is not willing to risk sending this 35-year-old veteran. Zheng Zhi's existence is more to help Lippi manage the locker room.

With Zheng Zhi's status in domestic football, although he sometimes looks like a ball bully, he is indeed a role model for young players at the competitive level.

At the age of 35, he played 42 games in the Chinese Super League, AFC Champions League and FA Cup last season, including 36 starts.

With such a high attendance rate, it is hard to imagine that this is a veteran who is already thirty-five years old and his peak has long passed.

But on the other hand, this is also the sadness of Chinese football.

Even if he is a thirty-five-year-old guy, there is still no young player in China who can definitely replace Zheng Zhi's strength in the midfield.

The debts of Chinese football in recent years are too great.

...........

This game is a game that cannot be lost for both sides.

For the Chinese team, if this game wins, no matter what the result of the other game in this group is, the Chinese team gets six points, it can open up the three-point gap with the opponent, and it can definitely occupy a position in advance in the third game of the group stage, and if Saudi Arabia defeats North Korea in another game, the Chinese team can also lock the first place in the group one round in advance.

Because in the case of the same score, the group stage is the priority to compete with each other's records, the Chinese team defeated Uzbekistan and Saudi Arabia, and had an advantage in each other's records, while the North Korean team was both in the two stops, and it could not be compared with the Chinese team in points.

Of course, this is ideal.

The first thing the Chinese team has to do is to defeat the opponent in front of them.

In the Uzbekistan lineup, the most wary of the Chinese team is undoubtedly the two-time Asian Footballer of the Year Jeparov, Jeparov's career, although all spent in Asia, he has been in Seongnam Ilhwa, Ben Yudko, Seoul FC and other teams. These are all well-known teams in the AFC Champions League.

In the Chinese team's several losses to Uzbekistan, Jeparov was the one who brought nightmares to the Chinese team.

It was probably the tragic situation of Saudi Arabia in the first game that inspired Uzbekistan, and from the very beginning of the game, Uzbekistan pressed heavily and tried to break down the Chinese team's defense in one fell swoop through attack.

This is also their helpless move, Li Qingshan's threat to the defense line is too great, after the assessment of the Uzbek side, it is determined that it is difficult to prevent Li Qingshan if the defense line relies on defense.

The only way to do this is to start with the tempo, and as long as the team scores first, there will be more room for maneuver in the next game.

The Uzbek team has a very Soviet team style, with a tough style of play and fast attacking from the wings.

From the very beginning of the game, Uzbekistan's crosses were non-stop threatening. It brought a certain amount of confusion to the Chinese team's penalty area.

However, the defensive organization of the Chinese team under the tutelage of Lippi is not the former Amon, and the Uzbek opening attack tactics failed to work, and the game situation gradually took back control of the game under the tough fight of the Chinese team against Mai Mang.

Lippi chose to start Hao Junmin, of course, with the aim of strengthening the midfield's control and passing ability. Uzbekistan are not very good at possession, so Lippi is confident that China can control the midfield in terms of possession.

When the Chinese team gradually controlled the rhythm of the game, it was Uzbekistan that scored first.

In the 22nd minute, Yuhai midfielder was stealed, Uzbekistan played a quick counterattack, Akhmedov hit the goal vigorously on the left side, the football hit Mei Fang and produced a strange refraction, the football went over Zeng Cheng's head and fell into the goal.

Uzbekistan leads 1-0.

This is the first goal conceded by the Chinese team in this Asian Cup.

After conceding the goal, the Chinese team was not in a hurry. Lippi's more than nine months of tweaking the team has paid off, at least now the team doesn't look flustered after conceding a goal.

The Chinese team is still organizing its own attack step by step.

Li Qingshan's defensive pressure in this game was much higher than in the previous game, and beside him, two defenders, Akhmedov and Haidarov, followed him inch by inch.

It's just that Li Qingshan is not in a hurry at all, in the European arena, he has encountered greater defensive pressure than this, and he seems very calm when the two of them are closely marked.

Receiving, passing, protecting the ball. He was so skilful that it was as if the two defenders around him didn't exist.

But it is undeniable that the presence of two defenders does limit Li Qingshan's play - because the opponent does not have much defensive pressure on him to take the ball and catch the ball, and the focus is on preventing him from turning and shooting.

Li Qingshan was also very relieved to participate in the team's offensive organization, and it seemed that he was not in a hurry to shoot.

However, just when the first half was about to end, Li Qingshan was about to turn around after receiving the ball, and Akhmedov immediately became vigilant, and he immediately shifted his center of gravity, ready to block Li Qingshan's shooting route.

However, Li Qingshan only made a feint, and with a slight push of his right foot, he pushed to the side position.

Yu stepped forward at super high speed, picked up the ball directly after receiving the ball on the right side of the penalty area.

Li Qingshan, who was in the air, made Uzbekistan quite desperate, and a Taishan pressed the top to help the Chinese team equalize.

Uzbekistan suffered another blow after the break, when Huang Bowen's long-range shot from outside the box hit the defender's outstretched arm.

Penalty kick!

Li Qingshan stood on the penalty spot, as the captain and core of the team, he certainly took it upon himself to face such a penalty opportunity.

Although Li Qingshan has not practiced penalty kicks, in fact, penalty kicks are not a big test of skills, mainly for psychological games.

In this regard, Li Qingshan has always been reassuring. He didn't even run, he shot straight into the top left corner, and the goalkeeper couldn't do anything.

Two to zero!

The Chinese team overtook the score.

After taking the lead, the Chinese team played more calmly, and the advantage of Uzbekistan's fast side attack could not be brought into play at all under the control of the Chinese team's midfield.

In the 80th minute, the Chinese team went to the next city, Li Qingshan stopped the ball on his chest in the penalty area and turned around and volleyed, and the football flew into the net again.

Three to one, Li Qingshan scored a hat trick!

In the other game, there was good news, Saudi Arabia defeated the North Korean team 4-1, which means that the Chinese team has locked the first place in the group one round in advance!

The last round of the group stage has completely lost its meaning for the Chinese team.