A number of Chinese players are carrying a yellow card in the current World Cup qualifiers, adding uncertainty to the upcoming matches. In addition to Zhang Linpeng and Wu Xi, who have faded from the national team, as many as 13 current players are carrying a yellow card each, including Wang Dalei, Wang Zhen'ao, Zhu Chenjie, Jiang Shenglong, Yang Zexiang, Li Ke, Wang Shangyuan, Xu Haoyang, Gao Tianyi, Baihailamu, Fang Hao, Xie Wenneng and Zhang Yuning.
According to the rules of World Cup qualifying, these yellow cards will accumulate until the next stage of the tournament. This means that in the third stage (the eighteen-team tournament) starting in September, any player who gets another yellow card will be automatically suspended for one match. This puts a higher demand on the Chinese team's lineup arrangement and tactical deployment in key matches.
Players will need to avoid unnecessary fouls while maintaining their intense competitive form to ensure that they are able to give their all in the third phase of the tournament. China's coaching staff will also need to be cautious and rationalize their starting lineup to deal with possible suspensions. Fans hope that these players will be able to demonstrate both excellent technical and tactical skills as well as maintain their discipline in the coming matches to achieve better results for the Chinese team.
