"We would lose 0-15 if we faced Japan" — Fury erupts in China... 0-5 disaster against Palestine, even compared to U-23 team: "Humiliation"

*This content was translated by AI.

As the Chinese senior national football team collapsed with a 0-5 defeat to Palestine, fierce criticism also poured in domestically.

The Chinese men's national football team suffered a heavy 0-5 loss to Palestine in a friendly match held on the 2nd at Longxing Football Stadium in Chongqing, China.

It was a humiliating result for China. Previously, China had faced Palestine seven times, recording five wins and two draws without ever losing, but this time they were crushed by a margin of five goals on their home turf.

The defense wavered from the first half. After conceding the opening goal to Assad Al-Hamrawi in the 16th minute of the first half, China allowed Hamrawi to score an additional goal six minutes later.

During stoppage time in the first half, they conceded a third goal to Odai Dabagh, ending the first half with a 0-3 deficit.

There was no turnaround in the second half either. They allowed another goal to Dabagh and conceded again during stoppage time in the second half, ultimately finishing the match with the shocking score of 0-5.

The shock in China was significant.

China's Sina Sports introduced remarks by famous football commentator Dong Lu after the match, conveying the atmosphere of fierce criticism directed at the senior national team.

According to the report, Dong Lu stated, "Coach Xiao Zai of the Chinese national football team showed excessive confidence in a four-back system," and fired a direct shot, saying, "With this kind of defense, if we face Japan, we could lose by scores of 0-12 or even 0-15."

It was not just the single match against Palestine that was being criticized.

Sina Sports compared the senior national team led by Coach Xiao Zai with the Chinese U-23 national team commanded by Coach Antonio, presenting sharply diverging evaluations.

The Chinese U-23 national team earned recognition for its potential by finishing as runner-up at this year's U-23 Asian Cup. It was the best result in the history of Chinese football at this tournament. Following that, they also advanced to the semifinals at the recently held 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.

In particular, Sina Sports focused on Coach Antonio's 5-3-2 tactical formation.

The outlet evaluated, "Antonio's 5-3-2 tactical system fits the Chinese U-23 national team very well," adding, "They are showing good performance through realistic football that first stabilizes the defense before deciding the outcome."

It further praised, "Coach Antonio, who employs pragmatic football, is receiving high praise from Chinese fans."

In contrast, the situation of the senior national team was the exact opposite.

Coach Xiao Zai deployed a four-back system against Palestine, but defensive organization collapsed, allowing five goals. Suffering a heavy defeat at home against an opponent with little difference in FIFA ranking made it impossible to avoid fierce local criticism.

After the match, Coach Xiao Zai bowed his head at the post-match press conference, stating, "I am sorry for losing by such a score margin," and adding, "There is nothing more to explain. This kind of match is difficult for both me and the team to accept."

He could not hide his shock, saying, "To be honest, I have never experienced a defeat like this before."

The outlet noted, "Until now, China had faced Palestine seven times, recording five wins and two draws without ever losing," while adding, "However, new history was made on that day. Not only did China lose to Palestine for the first time, but they were crushed by a large score margin."

It emphasized, "The disappointment of Chinese football fans has reached its peak."

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*This content was translated by AI.