To the point! U22 national football team 2-1 East Timor, coach Antonio commented on the game after the game

First of all, thank the players for their efforts on the court. We scored three points. This was the first victory in the group stage. The goal was achieved, but the process and expectations were different. This game exposed many issues that need to be summarized immediately.

East Timor-Leste is a well-organized team. Their defensive position is very compact and the counterattack is also very threatening. We controlled the situation in the first half and scored two goals. Baihe Lamu's grabbing point and Wang Yudong's shot were both decisive, leading 2-0 into the half, which was an acceptable result.

But at the beginning of the second half, we had a decline in attention. The opponent took advantage of a counterattack opportunity to score. This conceding reflected the problem of insufficient communication on the defensive end and insufficient return to defense. After a while, the opponent's morale rose and created a dangerous situation. Li Hao made a key save to avoid the equalization of the score.

From the data, our ball possession rate is close to 70%, and our shots are nearly twice that of our opponents, but the offensive conversion efficiency is not ideal, especially in terms of grasping opportunities, there are situations such as failing to make a single shot or hitting the post in the empty goal. This shows that players still need to improve their decision-making and stability in front of the goal, which is also the part that needs to be strengthened in future training.

Regarding the performance of individual players, Baihe Lamu scored goals as a striker and created threats many times. His performance is worthy of recognition. Wang Yudong performed stably before being injured. Not only did he score, but his pass success rate reached 85%. His connection in the frontcourt is very valuable. Unfortunately, he ended early due to injury. He needs to evaluate his situation next. Although Xiang Yuwang worked very hard, he also missed some opportunities. This requires the team to help him adjust his mentality. Goalkeeper Li Hao played a role at a critical moment.

On the defensive end, our central defender combination did make some mistakes, especially in the process of turning from offense to defense, the opponent can easily hit behind our defense zone, which shows that there are loopholes in the defensive organization and position coordination, and there is insufficient protection between each other. This is not a personal problem, but the overall defensive structure needs to be more compact.

This game also reflects the reality that the team lacks running-in time. There is only one joint training before the game, and the number of warm-up games is limited. There is indeed a sense of unfamiliarity in cooperation between players, especially in the offensive movement and passing choices, which can be more reasonable and tacit.

The next game against the Northern Mariana Islands, we must not only strive for victory, but also strive for more goals. Goal difference is very important in the group ranking, especially Australia in the same group has already won a big score. We must improve offensive efficiency, seize opportunities, and maintain defensive stability.

The last game is the real test for Australia. They are physically strong and have strong tactical discipline. We must be fully prepared. From now on, every game will be the final!

From a longer-term perspective, this game also reflects that our young players still lack adaptability in high-intensity international competitions. There are differences in the pace and confrontation levels of domestic leagues and international competitions. Players need to adjust and adapt faster. This also reminds us that we must pay more attention to quality in training and preparation, and simulate the intensity of the real game!

The coaching team and I will carefully analyze the video of this game, find out the specific problems at both ends of offense and defense, and adjust them one by one. We accept the criticism of the fans, and the players also need to face up to these voices and turn them into motivation for progress. Our goal has not changed, and we are trying to qualify from the group, and the road must be taken one by one, and the problems must be solved one by one.

Thank you for your attention and support, we will do our best to prepare for the next game!