As the year 2024 comes to a close, the Chinese national football team has recently released its annual summary on social media platforms. Statistics show that in this year, the national team participated in a total of 13 official matches, achieving a record of 3 wins, 4 draws, and 6 losses. Wu Lei became the top scorer for the national team, scoring 4 goals in 9 appearances. Bai Helamu and Zhang Yuning each scored two goals, ranking second, with a total of 7 players finding the net. Jiang Guangtai played in all 12 matches, undoubtedly making him the workhorse of the national team. This data proves that the national team has made gains in the past year, but there are also areas that need improvement.
The World Cup qualifiers in March 2025 are about to kick off, which is the most important match for the national team to qualify for the USA, Canada, and Mexico World Cup. Currently, although the national team ranks at the bottom of the group, they still have a chance to directly qualify for the World Cup. Before the start of the competition, the national team also received two pieces of good news. According to reports from Australia, the main defender of the Australian national team, Souttar, will be out for a year due to an Achilles tendon rupture, which is undoubtedly a major blow to Australia and good news for the national team.
According to related media reports, Souttar was injured while representing Sheffield United in the English Championship on Friday and is expected to take 9 to 10 months to recover. In addition, another Australian defensive player, Hilkati, suffered a cruciate ligament injury, and the absence of two consecutive players is undoubtedly a major blow to Australia. Looking at Souttar's performance, he has played 22 games for Sheffield United so far, with a current transfer market value of 8 million euros, demonstrating his considerable strength.
In China's match against Australia, Souttar posed a significant threat to the national team during set pieces. In a previous World Cup qualifier, Souttar defended Wu Lei very aggressively, leaving no room for opportunity. Although Xie Weneng later reduced Souttar's efficiency, Souttar's frontal defense remained strong. Now that Souttar is injured, it is undoubtedly good news for the national team. According to the schedule, the national team will face Australia at home in Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center on March 25 next year, allowing them to make adequate preparations by then.
The national team also welcomes the return of Serginho. According to media sources, after the first phase of winter training in Kunming, Beijing Guoan's first team officially went on holiday. On January 5, the entire team will begin the second phase of winter training. At that time, head coach Tiene, the coaching staff, three national team players, and Serginho are likely to join up with Guoan in Haikou at the beginning of January. This way, Serginho can also participate in pre-season training and drills with Guoan's three national team players Li Lei, Lin Liangming, and Zhang Yuning in advance.
At the same time, the national team will also hold a training camp in Haikou in January. At that time, the national team players will coordinate their training plans and complete training sessions with the national team. After Serginho joins up with Guoan in early January, it is expected that he will have further contact with the national team, which will promote his integration into playing for the national team and blending with the team's players. It must be said that Guoan has also done a meritorious deed, not only helping their own team with recruitment but also being able to prepare personnel in advance for the national team.