"They might do better than the adult national team."

The Chinese national football team, led by coach Ivan Branković, lost 0-2 to Australia in the 8th match of Group C in the 2026 FIFA North and Central America World Cup Asian qualifiers held on the 25th (Korea Standard Time) at the Hangzhou Sports Park Stadium in Hangzhou, China.

With this defeat, China failed to rebound. China remains at the bottom with 2 wins, 6 losses, and 6 points. Despite the enthusiastic support of 80,000 home fans, China struggled against Australia. From the start of the match, Australia controlled possession, leading the game.

In the 7 matches played so far, China recorded victories against Indonesia at home and Bahrain in an away game, but lost the rest. China faced Australia with a two-top configuration of Zhang Yuning and Wei Shihao. In the midfield were Xu Haoyang, Huang Zhengwei, Xie Wenlong, and Chao Yongjing, while the back four defense consisted of Li Leilai, Zhang Chenglong, Han Fengfei, and Yang Zhixiang. The goalkeeper was Wang Dalai.

Despite the overwhelming support of home fans, China conceded the opening goal. In the 16th minute of the first half, a ball that the Chinese defense failed to clear properly was scored by Irvine with a left-footed shot, giving Australia a 1-0 lead.

Successful in seizing the initiative, Australia was also fortunate. In the 29th minute of the first half, Australia's Beluphilai took a right-footed shot towards the center of the goal, but Chinese goalkeeper Wang Dalai failed to respond.

At the end of the first half, China did not record a single effective shot. In contrast, Australia boasted a high level of finishing, converting both of their two effective shots into goals.

China prepared for a turnaround through substitutions. However, Australia's defense was solid. Even with naturalized players added in, China fiercely confronted Australia. Yet, China finished the game without scoring a consolation goal, failing to add points.

Sohu Sports rated goalkeeper Wang Dalai with a score of 5.3. It noted, "Wang Dalai performed well in the last match. However, he was slippery like butter on this day. He also forgot to wear the captain’s armband in the second half."

After the match, Wang Dalai said, "It's my mistake. I have no words. My vision was obscured. The ball bounced and I reacted unconsciously. I couldn't maintain my concentration," as he forced a smile. However, his continuous swaying and seemingly playful demeanor angered the Chinese public.

Sohu.com reported criticism stating, "He looked as if he had no shame. It seemed he did not regret or reflect on his mistakes. He lacked any sense of apology."

Meanwhile, in the match held after the game against Australia, Indonesia defeated Bahrain 1-0 to maintain 4th place. Consequently, China found itself in a bottom place competition with Bahrain, still unable to escape last place due to a disadvantage in goal difference despite being tied on points.

In contrast to the struggles of the adult national team, the recent Chinese U-22 national team managed to defeat Korea. In fact, on the 23rd (Korea time), the South Korea U-22 team lost 0-1 to the host nation, China, in the second match of a four-nation friendly tournament hosted by the Chinese Football Association (CFA) at the Yanqing Olympic Sports Center Stadium in Jiangsu Province, China. This resulted in a record of 1 draw and 1 loss following a 1-1 tie in the first match against Vietnam.

From the early stages of the match, backed by the support of home fans, China pushed hard, with Chen Zhes' free kick hitting the post and threatening Korea's goal in the early minutes. The national team advanced their attack centered around Jeong Jae-sang, but couldn’t break through the opposing defense. Especially in the middle of the second half, Choi Woo-jin and Kim Joo-chan attempted consecutive shots but failed to shake the net.

Eventually, the tense 0-0 balance was broken in the 42nd minute of the second half. In a corner kick situation for China, Liu Haofan opened the scoring, and Korea bowed their heads without being able to equalize. Compared to the adult national team, the U-22 team has achieved some results.

Chinese 'Zhibo.com' stated, "Over the past decade, Chinese men's football has consistently naturalized foreign players. However, they still cannot win," raising the question, "If anything, since using them, Chinese football has continued to degrade. So why use them?"

It continued, "Honestly, naturalized players are no longer needed in Chinese football. It is better to cultivate new pure-blooded Chinese players," adding, "For example, more opportunities should be provided to young players of the U-22 national team instead of naturalized players. They need to be utilized from the June A match."

[OSEN]