Shao Jiayi Leads National Team to Victory: More Aggressive, More Proactive, Younger

Report by Chen Yong Shao Jiayi's debut match against a World Cup newcomer left Chinese fans somewhat anxious beforehand, but Shao Jiayi and the national players delivered a satisfying performance. Although the opponent's performance fell short of expectations, it is undeniable that in this match, the newly unveiled national team played more aggressively, more proactively, and importantly, they are younger.

In this match, nine U23 players were fielded. Those starting included center-back Liu Haofan, right-back Yang Xi, midfielder Xu Bin, and left-winger Wang Yudong. Additionally, Baihelamu substituted in at the start of the second half as right-winger; at the 67th minute, Hu Hetao substituted in as left-back; at the 77th minute, Kuai Jiwen and Liu Chengyu substituted in as dual forwards; at the 86th minute, Wu Miti Jiang substituted in as center-back. All nine U23 players called up for the first time participated, leaving only Li Zhenquan, who was additionally summoned, yet to play.

The four starting players performed well: Wang Yudong, originally a mainstay in the national team, contributed to the team's second goal; Xu Bin excelled in the midfield position, showing solid defensive and ball-handling skills; the center-back duo of Liu Haofan and Zhu Chenjie kept a clean sheet; most impressive was right-back Yang Xi, whose excellent defensive and mobility skills gained widespread recognition.

Among the substitutes, Baihelamu maintained his consistent style—his strong running and relentless pursuit are vital for the national team—while other players also made their contributions.

Youth development is a necessary choice for the new national team. Shao Jiayi delivered a satisfactory performance in his first public appearance. It must be noted that his bold use of young players during his tenure at West Coast has continued effectively at the national level, yielding positive results. In future series of warm-up matches, young players may face fluctuations due to experience or other factors, but as long as they play courageously and fiercely, the public should understand—after all, the youth transition for the national team is not a permanent state but a necessary measure due to the once-collapsed youth training system in Chinese football.

It must be acknowledged that veteran players played key and important roles: in defense, goalkeeper Yan Junling performed very steadily; in transition, Wang Shangyuan served as a core; and on the offensive end, Wei Shihao and Zhang Yuning each scored a goal.

Veteran and young players competing together and each fulfilling their roles is undoubtedly what the public hopes to see, and Shao Jiayi was also pleased. After the match, in the locker room, he encouraged the players.

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Beyond youth development, the national team showed several highlights in this match: first, the team's morale was stable; second, in tactics, they were not conservative, daring to control the midfield, attack, and press forward; third, and most gratifying, the match's transition pace was very fast, which aligns with public expectations for the national team.

Morale is the baseline for the national team. It should be said that from the World Cup qualifiers' 36-strong stage to the 18-strong stage, the national team's morale has largely been consistent. After Shao Jiayi's new national team debut, this aspect continues, with the key being sustained stability—no matter the situation, they must play courageously and fiercely.

Changes in tactics: local coaches often give fans a conservative impression, but Shao Jiayi is reassuring. Throughout the match, the national team dared to control the midfield. Perhaps against stronger teams they may not dominate midfield, but within Asia, except for a few top teams, this approach should be suitable for the national team. Moreover, Shao Jiayi encouraged players to press forward throughout the match, which is also challenging, especially since he emphasized "results" before the match.

The real change is the match pace. The biggest gap between Chinese football and world football is pace. In this match, the transition pace between both sides was quite fast, and the national players adapted relatively well.

This victory undoubtedly boosts the national team's confidence. Regarding this, Shao Jiayi stated: "Winning is the greatest encouragement for the team. Everyone knows clearly that winning brings us the greatest confidence."

Of course, the national team is not without issues. Shao Jiayi was candid after the match: "Overall, we performed very well, but our coaching group concluded that we were somewhat passive during a period in the first half, and our coordinated pressing wasn't fully unified. This isn't the players' fault—we coaches didn't instruct them or practice it, which is an area we need to improve."

Perhaps the public focuses on broader changes, while Shao Jiayi pays more attention to details. Regardless, winning brings joy, and hopes are for continuity.