In the afternoon of September 25th, China's U16 National Youth Football Team, led by Yang Chen, defeated Luneng U16 Team 2-1 in the third round of the Jinshan Cup in extra time. After the match, Yang Chen faced the media interview, frankly talked about the challenges and difficulties faced by the team, and objectively evaluated the strength of the players and the reserve of players of the same age. He emphasized, "As a coach, we should not only teach them to play football, but also teach them how to behave."
Reporter's question, "Can you talk about your team philosophy and the current state of the team?"
Yang Chen responded, "Our priority is to prepare for the Asian Junior Championship qualifiers next September. I only formed this U16 team in May. As we all know, the actual age of our players is only 15 years old. Next year, this team will become a U16 team in the true sense of the word. For the purpose of competition, we named it 'U1'. After forming the team, my first priority is to educate patriotism and develop their sense of national honor. I believe that players of this age group should learn this in their first lesson. In addition, team spirit and sense of responsibility are also very important, and I think the team building needs to be strengthened in this regard. As you can see, our players are very well organized in all aspects, from their hairstyles. I think there should be a new look for youngsters in this age group. Of course, it is also very important to show your talent on the field."
Reporter's question: "In the coaching team, Yang Jun, Yu Tao and you are all former famous players. Is it a great incentive for the young players to have such coaches leading by example?"
Yang Chen said, "That's for sure. These coaches all come from professional soccer players and have been selected for the national team before. I think it's a very good experience for the players to watch their idols train and master the technical essentials. After they learn it, they may need an adaptation period or the so-called honeymoon period in the early stage. I think whether the young players have real potential also depends on whether they have real skills and whether they can learn real techniques."
Reporter's question, "What is your attitude about young players staying overseas?"
According to Yang Chen, "I think players are at the stage of honing their skills before the age of 16. As long as there are good coaches in the country, they can make progress. after the age of 16, they need to receive some tactical guidance. In addition, they need to strengthen more physical training. After that, they can go to Europe, or even to our neighboring country, Japan, to receive training. I think these are all good directions."
Reporter's question, "Does the team have any preparation plans after the Kingsford Cup?"
Yang Chen said, "It's like this. As we competed as A and B teams during the Jinshan Cup. at the end of October, we also have to go to Zibo to participate in the Origin Cup soccer tournament. By then, the U16 teams will be merged into one team. Therefore, the period from the formation of the team in May to the Jinshan Cup is the process of selecting our players. After the Kingsford Cup, we will finalize a 'Big One' roster, which will probably number around 35 or 30 players. This team is then downsized and is a true U16 national team."
Reporter's question, "After mapping the situation of players of the same age and this tournament, what do you think is the talent base of the national junior team in our age group?"
Yang Chen said: "In fact, many people said before that our talent pool in the age group after 01, 02 should be good. But I now feel that although two teams have been formed, the difference in player ability is still relatively large. There are not as many players available to us as we thought. I feel that players with character exist, but it seems that the overall level is about the same and there are no players who stand out in particular. In the forward and striker positions, we are okay to choose, but in the back line, there are not many talents to choose from, so the problem is more prominent. I think the reason for this phenomenon is mainly due to a certain trend in international soccer today. Because when learning soccer, many kids choose to play as strikers because some of the stars they admire are strikers, such as Messi and Crow play as defenders or strikers. So there are very few players who really want to play in the backline position."
Reporter's question, "Was the U16 National Junior Team divided into two teams this time randomly assigned, or were the teams divided according to certain principles?"
Yang Chen said, "In fact, the main purpose is to examine the players. My original plan was to split players of the same position into different teams according to their field position, but considering that some of the players had previously played for a team, they knew each other better and it was more conducive to showing their characteristics and abilities, so we took these factors into account during the team formation process, so that the players of the same club or unit were divided into a team, which was more likely to produce a tacit understanding."
Reporter's question, "From how many players were the approximately 40 players selected for the A and B teams chosen?"
Yang Chen said: "In fact, we have two ways to select players. One is a league competition organized by R&F Football School, in which six clubs participated, and the other is an 80-player 2005/2006 age group selection camp organized by the youth training section of the CFA in April this year. The players we selected came from these two sources. Before the start of the Jinshan Cup, we have organized four training sessions, and each session also made adjustments to individual positions. Now, apart from the overseas players, the best quality players that can be selected domestically are basically here."
Reporter's question, "Do you think any of the more prominent players within this team are suitable to stay overseas?"
Yang Chen said, "There should be. I will integrate players according to my technical and tactical system and playing style. Sometimes I may think that the player is good and has good conditions in all aspects, but if I say that he doesn't fit my tactical system, he may also be excluded. I think some players have complete talent or potential to stay or develop abroad later."
Reporter's question: "The average age of the players of the U16 national junior team under your leadership this time is one year younger than the players of other teams, is this kind of game more valuable for training?"
Yang Chen said: "If we only consider the results, I may combine a team to participate in the Jinshan Cup, because that can show the team's level more realistically. But for now, I think these kids should play as many matches as possible, especially during the epidemic, so it's especially important to have the opportunity to play in real matches. As you can see, the Jinshan Cup has changed from an international tournament to a domestic tournament due to the epidemic. However, I think this kind of tournament still has a high training value for our players, especially the invited club teams are the strongest club teams in the 2005 age group. Look at the rhythm of today's match between our A team and Shandong Taishan team, we will understand how high the training value of the match is."
Reporter's question: "Due to the temporary inability to play international competitions, do you find it difficult to assess the level of our team's class in the entire Asian soccer world?"
Yang Chen said, "You are right. We also try to go through some information to understand the opponents. Including the real level of the teams in Southeast Asia and West Asia. But due to the epidemic, we don't have a lot of information. For example, it's really hard to compare with teams of the same age, such as Japan, South Korea or Saudi Arabia in West Asia, to what extent their level can reach. That's why we are looking for domestic teams with older players to warm up. Let my players learn how to develop and improve their tactical skills in a high tempo, high confrontation situation."
Reporter's question: "Unable to perform international warm-ups, is it that your mind is not quite in the right place in the process of preparing for the Asian Junior Championship qualifiers?"
Yang Chen said: "If there is no epidemic, the team should be more travel to neighboring countries to exchange. For example, we can go to Japan and South Korea to play such friendly matches, whose training value is the highest. We can even go to Europe to play competitions, but now we can only train at home."
Reporter's question, "The difference between leading an adult club team and leading a youth national team is significant, right? How do you need to adapt?"
Yang Chen said: "I think this age group of children, the speed of progress is very fast, so as a coach it is necessary because of their changes in the work of the team to see the opportunity to make adjustments, changes. I've been a team leader in the U20 and U22 national soccer teams before, but I think that kids in that age group are basically in the stage of technical stereotypes. As a coach, perhaps it is more tactical to instill them. But regarding the team I'm taking over now, I'm going to instill tactical thinking on the one hand, and I'm going to do some intensive training in terms of body and strength on the other. I think there are a lot of things that need to be taught to them. One thing that makes me happy is that these kids are absorbing things very quickly. I can feel that they are getting better every day."
Reporter's question, "Do you communicate more mentally or psychologically with your players? Do you instill positive values in them, etc.?"
Yang Chen said: "First of all, I told the children, Yang not only teach you to play soccer, but also to teach you to be a person, I want to set a correct value for them. Of course, there are a lot of things in society that can attract them, including cell phones, games and so on. But in our place, it is necessary to endure strict management, and sometimes even militarized management. I want them to understand that our real goal is to win on the field. Normally, some kids on campus may have more access to cell phones, more access to games, or more time off. But in our age group, they have to practice more so they can improve. As I said earlier, I also played in the national team, I think the most important thing is to cultivate their sense of national honor from a young age. Winning or losing is very important, but they should know more clearly that they are a member of the national team of the age group of U16, and they should feel that this is a sense of honor."
Reporter's question, "Do you think there is a difference in the level of play between your teammates of the same age when you were 15/16 and players of that age now?"
Yang Chen said, "To be honest, modern soccer is developing very fast. The pace of soccer now is even faster than in our time. The technical and tactical play of our time was relatively simple, but now the tactics are very complex. I think these kids have a lot to learn. If you compare them, I think maybe when we were 15/16 years old we had more characteristics, for example, some players were fast, some players were flexible, some players were good at heading the ball, and their characteristics were more obvious. But nowadays, the players are in the game to fully demonstrate the ability of overall cooperation. In this regard, the players of this age group now are stronger than the players of the same age in our time, but the individual characteristics are not as significant as the players of our time."
