National football team narrowly beats Singapore away: Victory is gratifying, but the chaos is regrettable

Reporter Chen Yong reports Two years ago, in the 36-team stage of the World Cup qualifiers, the national team played Singapore away, leading 2-0 but ending with a 2-2 draw. On June 5, 2026, the national team faced Singapore away again, again taking a 2-0 lead. Singapore also strengthened their attack in the second half, but this time, the national team conceded only one goal. Although Shao Jiayi stated after the match that the team deserved the win, the relatively chaotic situation in the second half is something he needs to review.

In this match, the national team's starting lineup included goalkeeper Li Hao, defenders Mao Weijie, Zhu Chenjie, Han Pengfei, and Yang Xi, midfielders Huang Jiahui and Serginho, and forwards Wang Yudong, Xie Wenneng, Wei Shihao, and Zhang Yuning. Four U21 players started, along with three other post-2000 players, with Mao Weijie playing as left back being the most noteworthy.

In the 17th minute, goalkeeper Li Hao launched a long pass. Yang Xi collected the ball and passed it wide. Xie Wenneng delivered a precise cross, and Serginho headed the ball in from the center. In the 39th minute, Huang Jiahui took a long-range shot, and a Singapore player handled the ball in the box, resulting in a penalty. Zhang Yuning converted the spot kick. At halftime, the national team led 2-0, and they also missed several scoring opportunities, such as Wei Shihao hitting the post with a header and failing to capitalize on a two-on-two chance in the attacking third.

A similar scene occurred two years ago: On March 21, 2024, in the 36-team stage of the World Cup qualifiers, the national team played Singapore away. In the first half, Wu Lei scored twice to give the team a 2-0 lead, with the first goal also being a header from a cross, just like the first goal in this match. Unfortunately, in that game, Singapore scored two goals in the second half, resulting in a 2-2 draw.

After the start of the second half, Singapore intensified their attack, playing very actively on both flanks. Fortunately, the national team's overall concentration was decent, but in the 76th minute, they conceded a goal — a cross from Singapore's right side, Zhu Chenjie's clearance was not far enough, and Ilhan Fandi scored with a low drive from the second-phase attack.

In the second half, the national team made consecutive substitutions, bringing on Lin Liangming, Wei Zhen, Zhu Pengyu, Liu Yang, Wang Shangyuan, Dai Weijun, Gao Tianyi, Wu Lei, Liu Haofan, and Barton. Only goalkeeper Li Hao and center-back Zhu Chenjie played the full 90 minutes. In the second half, the national team also had some good chances, such as Huang Jiahui's long pass to Lin Liangming, who volleyed just over the bar.

"We wanted to maintain high pressing throughout the 90 minutes, but judging by the process, we couldn't sustain it in every phase. The satisfying aspect is that even with a high-pressing approach, we could still drop back to the middle and low blocks for defense and pressing," Shao Jiayi said after the match.

Wu Lei came on in the 81st minute, marking his 100th appearance for the national team. His centenary ceremony will be held before the home match against Thailand on June 9. The team, including Shao Jiayi, congratulated him in the locker room after the game. "We fought this match for him, hoping he would have a perfect centenary celebration," Shao Jiayi said.

In terms of the match, the national team demonstrated their expected strength, as evidenced by the 2-0 lead in the first half. However, in the second half, the team was somewhat chaotic overall, lacking cohesion and chemistry.

In the second half, the national team made 10 substitutions. Although most were like-for-like changes, the players were not familiar with each other. The flank substitutions had relatively less impact, but the central areas were more affected — Zhu Pengyu is a U23 player who, despite previous national team training camps, was clearly unfamiliar with his teammates. Gao Tianyi was not originally on the roster but was called up due to injuries. Dai Weijun returned to the national team after a two-and-a-half-year absence, during which he suffered a serious injury that kept him out for a year and a half.

This issue of chemistry was directly reflected in an inconsistent tempo, leading to numerous mistakes in both attack and defense, which contributed to the national team's passive second half.

However, this was only Shao Jiayi's third friendly match since taking charge of the national team. In the first two friendlies, the team performed well. Against Curaçao, a World Cup debutant, the national team won 2-0. Against the strong African team Cameroon, they were very passive in the first half but improved after adjustments in the second half. In this match, despite being passive in the second half, they ultimately secured the win. Winning is always enjoyable, especially with an increase in FIFA ranking points.

For the national team, the most important thing now is to actively review the match while adjusting physical condition, and to perform well in the upcoming home match against Thailand. Striving for consecutive victories will enhance chemistry and further boost confidence.