Antonio: The team had physical problems in the second half; Wang Yudong told me he was exhausted
6686 Sports reported on November 12 that in the first round of the 2025 China Team Panda Cup International Football Championship, the National Football Team U22 lost 0-1 to Vietnam U22 at the Chengdu home team. After the game, National Football Team U22 coach Antonio attended the press conference.
Antonio’s post-match summary
Antonio: “This is a close match between two excellent teams. The opponent scored a goal and had better luck. Looking at the direction of the game, no matter whether the game ends 1-0, 0-0 or 0- 1 is possible. We can all see the efforts of the players. There are still shortcomings in the team, but I am very satisfied with their efforts on the field. We will not go into details on this occasion."
Antonio talked about the first-time overseas player Wang Bohao.
Antonio: "We have been tracking Wang Bohao for a long time and have watched all his club games. It is very valuable to call him into the team for personal inspection. We put him in a position that he usually doesn't play in this game because we have no one else to play. Everyone can see the problems with our forward staff."
Antonio talks about how to adjust after the defeat
Antonio: "The players' performance in the lounge is very mature. They are all professional players. I am satisfied with their attitude. The team has some integration. There are some players with some experience, as well as young players. At present, we can see that the team's physical fitness has problems in the second half, and there are not enough people in the substitute area, including some players who played 90 minutes before and came to the U22 national team."
Antonio talks about the level of domestic league matches
Antonio: “The good news is that many players in the team are playing in league matches and have more experience. We need to train them more. And practice. Among the players on the field today, Baihe Lamu suffered from cramps in the 75th minute, Xu Bin was unable to survive in the 70th minute, and Xiang Yuwang was injured. We have to protect the players together. If we don’t protect them, they will be destroyed.rong>"
"Wang Yudong has gone back to rest. His energy and body are very tired. I also hope that everyone can reach a consensus that we are short of these players at a certain moment, but everyone is working hard for Chinese football. Go to every game. Wang Yudong told me: He is too tired. In this case, should we insist on letting him play? I am the responsible coach and need to protect the players, so let him go back and adjust. ”
Antonio confirmed at the pre-match press conference that Wang Yudong was physically and mentally exhausted and decided to let him rest and not participate in the Panda Cup competition.
