At 16:15 on February 22, Beijing time, the first matchup of the U20 Asian Cup 1/4 finals will start. The Chinese national youth will sit at the stadium of the Shenzhen Youth Football Training Base to face the Saudi national youth. The winner of the match will advance to the U20 World Cup. If they win, the Chinese national youth team will return to the World Youth Championships for the first time in 20 years.
【Victory and Loss Analysis】
In this U20 Asian Cup, the Chinese national youth won 2 consecutive victories and qualified for the group ahead of schedule, and lost 1-2 to Australia in the final round of big rotation, ranking second in the group. The Saudi national youth team won 2 wins and 1 loss, beating Iraq to win the top spot in Group B.
The Chinese national youth will have four major advantages in this campaign, first of all, the Chinese national youth as the host, sitting on a huge home advantage; The stadium of the Shenzhen Youth Football Training Base, the venue of the game, has no runway, so the national youth players can hear the shouts of the Chinese fans at close range, and they can also put huge pressure on the opponent.
Second, the final round of the national youth group stage was played one day earlier than Saudi Arabia, and the national youth players got one more day of valuable rest and preparation time.
Third, because of the big rotation in the last round, no players were injured or suspended, and the strongest team of all players played.
Fourth, compared with Iraq and Iran, Saudi Arabia's soft style of play is more fearless, and the two teams know the roots, and it will not be an "encounter".
Of course, there is also a disadvantage to the national youth campaign, that is, the previous group stage was kicked off in the evening, and the match with Saudi Arabia was scheduled in the afternoon. Whether the national youth can enter the state as soon as possible after the time adjustment will greatly affect the overall performance, which will affect the outcome of the game.
【Combat Record】
In the two warm-up matches played against the Saudi national youth team last year, one was 0-0 and the other was 0-2. In the last U20 Asian Cup, the Chinese national youth defeated Saudi Arabia 2-0 in the second round, and Mutalifu and Xu Bin scored goals for the national youth. In the end, the national youth beat Saudi Arabia and joined hands with Japan to qualify.
【Initial Prediction】
Considering the stronger strength of the Saudi team and the higher intensity of the game, head coach Djurdjevic may change the 541 formation to further improve the team's defensive ability. Use the tactics of "defensive counterattack" to suppress the Saudi team's attack. The Saudi team may continue to play a balanced offensive and defensive formation of 442.
China National Youth (3-4-2-1)
Goalkeeper: 1-Liu Qiwei
Central defenders: 3-He Yiran, 4-Shi Songchen, 5-Peng Xiao
Midfielders: 23-Yang Xi, 6-Yimulan Maimaiti, 8-Chen Zeshi, 11-Wang Yudong
Front waist: 7-Mao Weijie, 10-Kuai Jiwen
Center: 9-Liu Chengyu
Saudi Arabia (4-4-2)
Goalkeeper: 22 - Shankiti
Defenders: 19-Awad Aman, 5-Mohammed Barnawi, 6-Saleh Barnawi, 2-Sultan Issa
Midfielders: 11-Hakawi, 13-Hazazi, 10-Ziad Ghamdi, 8-Rakan Ghamdi
Forwards: 9-Haji, 18-Atar
[Pre-match sound]
Djurdjevic (Chinese National Youth Coach): We and Saudi Arabia know each other well, and there are no secrets in modern football. They are a good, strong team, but I believe in my team. There's no pressure on us, it's just the next step before we go to the final.
Marcos Suarez (Saudi Arabian youth coach): The Chinese national youth team is very strong and plays at home. We all know how important the support of the home fans is. Most importantly, Djurdjevic knows exactly how to lead this team.
【Featured Players】
Al-Hakawi (Saudi National Youth): Plays for Saudi league giants Riyadh Victory, and is teammates with Cristiano Ronaldo. This season, he has made four appearances for Riyadh Victory. In this U20 Asian Cup, Hakawi participated in the three goals of the Saudi Arabian team in the group stage, and the national youth must focus on him.
Kuai Jiwen(China National Youth): 3 games in the group stage,Kuai Jiwen has all been gained. Against Qatar he scored his first goal of the tournament with a brilliant low shot, against Kyrgyzstan, Kuai Jiwen provided an assist from the wing, and against Australia he volleyed one back. As an all-round midfielder, whether Kuai Jiwen can suppress the opponent at both offensive and defensive ends in the game against Saudi Arabia is the key.
【Editor's Prediction】
The national youth defense is unstable but the attack is outstanding, and it is predicted that the national youth will win 2-1 and realize the dream of the World Youth Championship after 20 years at home.