Chapter 105: Easily Taking Ukraine

  In the end, Gao Jun only managed to score a goal in the final minutes of the game by taking advantage of the opponent's lax defense and receiving a through pass from He Jiongmin, but this was also the only goal scored by both sides in the second half, and it only served to slightly salvage some dignity. In the face of Brazil's iron barrel formation, Gao Jun couldn't help but feel helpless, "When strong teams put on a thick face and set up a big wall in front of the goal, it's really unsolvable... I guess we need to practice long shots more in the future, although even if our technique is good, whether or not it goes in still depends on luck..."

  Although China lost the match, they still advanced smoothly and were favored by domestic media to advance to the quarterfinals. However, European media, with their usual disdain for Asian football, stubbornly believed that only one of the four Asian teams would be able to break through in the round of 16. Ukraine's strength was considered second-rate in Europe, but not a weak team that Asian teams could easily defeat...

  Actually, the experienced coach Gao Jun and national youth team head coach Klaasen are also worried that the young players in the team will underestimate their opponents. Although China's youth team performed well in the first two matches of the World Youth Championship, relying mainly on counterattacks and set pieces is still a weakness, after all, no one can guarantee that they will score first every time, and if they concede first, it will be difficult to equalize. Losing to Brazil in the third group match was partly due to the absence of key players, but even with their strongest lineup, China would not have had an absolute advantage in breaking down Brazil's defense given their disgusting playing style at the time.

  Although the Ukrainian team is not particularly strong, as the game progresses, their competitive state has improved significantly compared to the first match. If the Chinese team underestimates them, there is still a possibility of losing. From this point of view, losing the last group match might be a good thing. The players' expressions during training can reveal that everyone is much tighter than before the match. While it's necessary to relax before the game, everything has its limits. If they are too relaxed, it will be difficult for them to quickly get into the state of competition during the match.

  However, the Brazilian team's play in that game also gave Ukraine a good demonstration. Although they are far from Brazil's strong ball control ability, their physical fitness is quite excellent. A group of strong men gathered in their own penalty area, still causing some trouble for the Chinese youth team's attack.

  However, due to Ukraine's lack of fast and skilled players, they were unable to counterattack against China's active frontcourt steals and quick backcourt defense. Their set-piece tactics also failed to work out as China's big men, such as Yu Hai and Ao Lin, actively defended in the frontcourt.

  So although Ukraine's defense once gave the Chinese youth team a headache, their offense was almost harmless, allowing the Chinese youth team to launch continuous attacks without worrying about the back. The Ukrainian team did not have Italy's concrete defense, and the result of being beaten passively for a long time was "those who defend for a long time will inevitably lose".

  In the 16th minute of the second half, Ukraine's two defenders collided with each other in a defensive mistake during a corner kick, and Gao Jun seized the opportunity to score a goal, breaking the deadlock on the field, forcing Ukraine to press out in an attempt to equalize the score, allowing the Chinese youth team to launch a sharp counterattack, making the game rhythm enter its most comfortable state.

  Less than three minutes later, Ah Lin scored again with a volley from Yu Hai's cross, making the game almost completely suspenseless. Afterwards, in order to conserve energy and better prepare for the quarterfinals, China slowed down their attacking rhythm, exhausting Ukraine's physical strength and morale with skilled ball control and footwork. In the 81st minute of the match, substitute Chen Tao scored again with a direct free kick, breaking through Ukraine's goal once more. Ultimately, the Chinese youth team won 3-0 against Ukraine, advancing to the quarterfinals with their heads held high.

  Although they once encountered resistance, the team was always confident of winning this game because the situation was always under the control of the young and middle-aged team. Although the players of the young and middle-aged team were very hardworking, it can be said that they did not use their full strength, after all, the focus is on the next game.

  Perhaps because of this, Yu Hai, although he has been lifted from the ban, still continued his previous style in this game, relying more on his teammates' cooperation rather than individual ability when breaking through to avoid injury and missing more important games later. In addition, Ukraine's high ball threat is relatively large, and Yu Hai, who is tall, often defends in the game, which also has a certain impact on his performance in the attack. Therefore, in this game, Yu Hai did not make too much contribution in the offense.

  Before, all four Asian youth teams advanced to the top 16, but European media did not look good for their future. They once asserted that at most one team could advance to the next round. As a result, after the round of 16 was over, it really turned out to be the case. Except for China, which easily won and advanced due to its weak opponent, the other three Asian teams were all eliminated. And even the "lucky" Chinese team is not expected by European media, especially local media, because their next opponent is the host Netherlands...

  This generation of Dutch youth may not have the kind of talent that will reach Ballon d'Or level in the future, but the solid foundation laid by the Netherlands' football youth training over the years is still not to be underestimated, and the home advantage can also make their combat effectiveness rise to a higher level.

  Historically, the Dutch youth team was eliminated by Nigeria in the quarterfinals through a penalty shootout, but considering the crazy characteristics of African teams and the unstable state of the youth team, it cannot be said that the Dutch youth team is not strong.

  In fact, from the content of the group stage and the round of 16 matches, this Dutch youth team is still very powerful. As the World Youth Championship progresses, the competitive state of European teams, which was previously at a disadvantage due to league schedules, has also gradually improved. Although problems still exist, compared to the first match, they are now generally two different teams. The European youth team's coordination problem caused by the short training period has also been greatly improved, so the Chinese team absolutely cannot be careless for half a moment.