Chinese national team fired 24 shots to no avail! Shao Jiayi: We still need to practice after returning.

Reporter Chen Yong reports On the evening of June 9, the Chinese men's national team drew 0-0 with Thailand in Jinhua, watched by 27,005 spectators. They unleashed 24 attempts on goal, yet none resulted in a score. Shao Jiayi and the new-look national team's first home match unfortunately concluded as a draw.

Judging by the team's performance, their fighting spirit, tactical execution, especially in pressing and counter-pressing, were commendable. However, instability in the defense line was evident, and more disappointingly, they lacked the ability to break down stubborn defenses.

At the pre-match press conference, national team head coach Shao Jiayi stated that the team would take the game seriously and field their strongest lineup.

Before the match, the Chinese Football Association held a ceremony for Wu Lei's 100th appearance. FA Chairman Song Kai presented Wu Lei with a commemorative trophy, while FA Vice Chairman Xu Jiren and national team coach Shao Jiayi awarded him a commemorative jersey. In the 7th minute, the Chinese Zhi Zao fan group used their phone lights in the stands to spell out "WULEI," choosing that time because Wu Lei wears the No. 7 jersey.

Compared to the away match against Singapore, Shao Jiayi made significant changes to the starting lineup. Only Zhu Chenjie, Yang Xi, Huang Jiahui, Serginho, Wei Shihao, and Zhang Yuning retained their starting spots. Liu Dianzuo, Liu Haofan, Liu Yang, Wang Shangyuan, and Lin Mingming entered the lineup. Positioning-wise, Serginho moved up to the attacking midfielder role, with Wei Shihao and Lin Mingming on the left and right flanks respectively.

Shao Jiayi believes that rotation and pursuing results are not contradictory. "I told the players that since they are selected for the national team, each one of them has the quality to start. That's for sure."

Shortly after kickoff, a clearance error by Liu Haofan caused a dangerous situation. In the 3rd minute, Zhang Yuning received a cross from the right and hit the post with an outside-of-the-foot shot. In the 27th minute, Liu Haofan made another mistake, leading to an even greater threat, but Thailand's shot went over the crossbar. Just before halftime, Serginho executed a clever backheel shot inside the box under pressure, but it was saved by the Thai goalkeeper.

In the first half, China had 64% possession, with a shot count of 10 to 1. Thailand's only shot attempt came from a Chinese error.

In the 60th minute, Wang Yudong came off the bench and created several chances. In the 72nd minute, China launched continuous attacks and created opportunities, but a close-range rebound was desperately blocked by a Thai defender. Subsequently, Mao Weijie and Baihelamu were introduced. In the 86th minute, Wu Lei and Han Pengfei entered the field. In this match, China used all five substitutions, fully simulating the substitution arrangements in an official game.

In the second half, China's offensive intensity increased. After Baihelamu came on, the team adopted a two-striker formation. Unfortunately, despite mounting pressure, they failed to convert chances into goals. Notably, China did not experience fitness issues in this match, partly due to their dominance in attack.

After the match, Shao Jiayi expressed regret over not winning. "We created many chances—that's important, showing we have the ability. The final touch wasn't good enough; we need to go back and work on it."

Judging by the match, China's forward pressing and counter-pressing were executed thoroughly, with good consistency and determination. This was the reason for their high number of shots and a clear demand from Shao Jiayi since he took charge. From this perspective, the national team displayed their own technical and tactical characteristics.

At the same time, China showed decent performance in counterattacks from low defensive blocks. Zhang Yuning's shot that hit the post came from a successful defensive effort followed by a through ball and break down the flank.

The current issues for the national team are, first, defensive stability. Errors occurred in the backline against both Singapore and Thailand. Second, they lack effective scoring methods. In this match, China had 24 shots, 11 corners, and 18 shots inside the box, but under Thailand's compact defense, they ultimately failed to score. At present, China severely lacks the ability to break down packed defenses. In the final stages, Zhang Yuning and Baihelamu formed a two-striker setup, but neither is a true target-man type. This deficiency is a problem faced by the national team and several other age-group national teams.

"After the game, in the locker room, I congratulated the players. They fulfilled all the coach's requirements, and their focus and attitude were unquestionable. They also produced a good process. Not scoring involved some elements of luck, and the coaching staff needs to design more specific drills during training," Shao Jiayi said after the match.

Since taking over, Shao Jiayi has organized three training camps. "I am very satisfied with the players' performances. Their attitude, execution, and abilities have been excellent. They have fully followed the coach's instructions. In the match against Thailand, their pressing and counter-pressing up front were nearly perfect. Especially considering they haven't been together long—unlike in a club where you can demand from them daily—even so, in just one week, they have done very well," he said.

Shao Jiayi stated that the national team's short-term goal is to win, and the long-term goal is also to win. As the national team head coach, the objective for every match is victory. "If we can maintain this kind of process, I believe the results will eventually be good."

After the two friendly matches, the national team will not disband immediately. Instead, they will head to Zunyi and Dalian for related activities and continue training for several more days.

As for the next training camp, since the U23 national team will participate in the Asian Games, eligible players must join that squad. At that time, the national team will also scout new talents. "The coaching staff has watched many matches and has a list of promising players from each team, along with a candidate shortlist. We will definitely continue watching; we won't miss any player capable of entering the national team," Shao Jiayi said.