Chinese U23 Football Team Eliminated from 2024 U23 Asian Cup

The Chinese U23 football team has been eliminated from the 2024 U23 Asian Cup in Qatar after a disappointing performance in the group stage. China lost their first two matches against Japan and South Korea, rendering their final 2-1 victory over the United Arab Emirates meaningless as they had already been knocked out of the tournament.

Chinese media expressed deep disappointment and concern over the team's early exit. News sites noted that the U23 squad's poor showing was even worse than the senior national team's elimination from the Asian Cup earlier this year without scoring a single goal. "This embarrassing result is a problem not just for a few players or coaches, but for Chinese football as a whole," one media outlet stated, criticizing the team's tactics.

In the final match against the UAE, Xie Wenneng and Liu Zhurun scored for China, while the Emiratis pulled one back in the second half but couldn't find an equalizer. However, the damage had already been done in China's losses to Asian powerhouses Japan and South Korea. Those two teams topped the group and advanced to the knockout stage along with the six other group winners and runners-up.

Why this matters: The Chinese U23 team's early elimination from the U23 Asian Cup is a significant blow to the country's football ambitions. It raises serious questions about the development and competitiveness of Chinese football on the international stage, both at the youth and senior levels.

China U23 head coach Cheng Yao-dong acknowledged the difficulty of being drawn in a group with Japan and South Korea, two of Asia's strongest teams. While he expressed satisfaction that his young players were able to show some promise despite not reaching the quarterfinals, Cheng emphasized that the experience of competing against the tournament's best would be valuable for their growth and development as footballers.

Key Takeaways

• Chinese U23 football team eliminated from 2024 U23 Asian Cup after losing first 2 matches
• Chinese media criticized team's poor performance, worse than senior national team's earlier exit
• China lost to Japan and South Korea, but beat UAE 2-1 in final match
• Elimination raises concerns about development and competitiveness of Chinese football
• Coach acknowledged difficulty of group but said experience will benefit young players