Shao Jiayi's debut performance takes place today, which new players can stand out?

Written by Chen Yong and Han Bing Although Shao Jiayi had already organized a training camp in Dubai previously, due to the absence of young players, it couldn't be considered a true national team at that time, and the matches were not official. Now, 10 U23 players have been called up to the national team, and the opponent is Curacao, which has entered the World Cup. Shao Jiayi and this team's real debut will officially take place at 14:00 Beijing time today.

During that Dubai training camp, the national team played 3 friendly matches or teaching matches, with a record of 1 win and 2 draws. However, two of the opponents were club teams (2-0 against the UAE third-tier team Arabian Eagles, 2-2 against Moscow Spartak), while Uzbekistan was a national team, but the match was divided into 3 segments, ultimately ending in a 2-2 draw.

For this training camp, the national team initially called up 9 U23 players, and later added Li Zhenquan, totaling 10 U23 players. Thus, except for goalkeeper Li Hao who is absent due to injury, the U23 players can form a complete lineup excluding the goalkeeper: defenders Hu Hetao, Liu Haofan, Wu Miti Jiang, and Yang Xi; midfielders Xu Bin and Li Zhenquan; wingers Wang Yudong and Bai Helamu; attacking midfielder Kuai Jiwen; and striker Liu Chenyu.

After arriving in Australia, Shao Jiayi organized a separate lineup of U23 players for training drills. In official matches, of course, age boundaries will be blended to better integrate the U23 players. Shao Jiayi also emphasized in an interview, "23 years old is no longer a young player; 22 or 23 years old are prime playing years, and the requirements for them are the same."

Among the U23 players, Wang Yudong and Hu Hetao have already become mainstays in the national team, Bai Helamu is a rotation player, and Kuai Jiwen also has considerable appearances in the national team. Next, we will see if more young players can gain Shao Jiayi's recognition.

Among them, the two young players personally nurtured by Shao Jiayi that attract much external attention are midfielder Xu Bin and right defender Yang Xi. Xu Bin chose to go abroad for development, while Yang Xi joined the Chinese Super League defending champion Shanghai Port and has secured a starting position with commendable performance in the new season.

For Shao Jiayi, the personnel challenges he faces are actually not much different from his predecessor. For example, in the midfield position, Wang Shangyuan is another year older. If Xu Bin performs consistently, it would naturally be good news for the national team. Hu Hetao can play as a left or right full-back or wing-back. If he plays on the left, the national team lacks a suitable option on the right side, and for a long time, the national team has been troubled by the right full-back position. Young Yang Xi has excellent defensive capabilities and very good stamina, naturally becoming a key player for Shao Jiayi to observe.

The match against Curacao is Shao Jiayi's first public appearance. The team's overall tactical approach and personnel arrangements are worth attention, and fans naturally have high expectations. Shao Jiayi attaches great importance to it. In an interview, he clearly stated that he has watched Curacao's match videos multiple times. The opponent possesses both the individual skills of Latin American players and the collective nature of European football. He also hopes "our team can fight in a collective manner."

In this match, substitutions can be made 3 times (11 players, or 12 if concussion substitution is used). Regarding this, Shao Jiayi said, "Regardless of how many substitutions, our primary goal is to establish our collective play and execute our requirements; this is the priority." He reiterated, "National team matches are not friendly games; moreover, this is a formal A-level match."

Shao Jiayi stated that the national team's preparation is serious, "The result is the most important." He demands the players "first regain their spirit, then concentrate fully and wholeheartedly on the match."

Since all Curacao team members play in overseas leagues, the players on the roster arrived in Sydney on March 23 and 24. New coach Rutten and the delegation staff arrived on March 22 for preliminary preparations.

The entire Curacao team stayed at the Pullman Hotel in Sydney Olympic Park to allow players to adapt to the time difference and match environment quickly after long flights. Before the match against the national team, the Curacao team only had two days for combined training. The first training on March 25 was arranged at Sydney Olympic Park, focusing on recovery and fitness, which was also the first formal meeting between new coach Rutten and the players. The training on March 26 was at the Accor Stadium where the match will be held, for venue adaptation and the only tactical training.

The match against the national team is Rutten's debut, but Curacao cannot field all players. Defender Obispo (PSV Eindhoven), Vonville (NEC Nijmegen) from the Eredivisie, and forward Locadia from MLS's Miami FC are all absent due to injuries. Rutten only has two matches in March to evaluate players and integrate with the team, making time very tight. Moreover, the first assistant coach Porter and team doctor Van Ecke resigned along with Advocaat one month ago. New assistant coach Coomans, set-piece coach Van Zwam, team doctor Hulman, and fitness coach Schoenmaker are also working together for the first time. The coaching and support staff of the Curacao team number nearly 20 people, also needing quick integration.

Curacao team manager Jensen and press officer Jensma handled the preliminary work. Manager Jensen emphasized that Rutten is different from his predecessor Advocaat, "His training methods and tactics are different from the predecessor; not only him, but all of us need to adapt." Rutten stated that he would follow the established rules: "I will continue to use Advocaat's tactics, of course adding my own style, which is important." Rutten's requirement for this FIFA series match is to give all players playing opportunities as much as possible, but defense must be prioritized first.

Regarding the national team, Rutten said, "In my impression, the Chinese team has always maintained good physical condition. They can run for 90 to 95 minutes and excellently execute the coach's tactics with strict discipline."

While the Curacao team was preparing in Sydney, the new World Cup jersey for the team's first participation was also released. The away jersey was released first, inspired by the architecture of Willemstad, the capital of Curacao. These colorful buildings, located along the coast in the Punda and Otrobanda districts, are on the UNESCO World Heritage list. The jersey is mainly in soft yellow, with pink, yellow-green, and orange three-stripe patterns on the shoulders sleeves, outer sides of shorts, and tops of socks, making a striking contrast with the blue-decorated collar. The "Curacao" text on the back neck is also composed of letters in seven colors. It is reported that the new World Cup jersey of the Curacao team might debut for the first time in the match against the national team.