Xie Pengfei (left) of Hangzhou Greentown shoots against Ge Teng of Liaoning Whowin during their 10th-round Chinese Super League match in Panjin, Northeast China's Liaoning Province on Sunday. Liaoning won 2-1, their first victory in five rounds. Photo: CFP

Following last week's 2-1 away victory over Thailand, the Chinese national soccer team was defeated by South Korea 0-3 on Tuesday night in their second group match of the second stage of the 2026 World Cup Asian Zone qualifiers held in Shenzhen, South China's Guangdong Province.

The loss allowed South Korea to maintain its perfect record in Group C that also features Thailand and Singapore. China now stands third in the group, level on three points with the second-placed Thailand. South Korea is in pole position to progress to the next stage. 

"Losing 3-0 is always painful, but I can be sure we will take the right conclusion from the game and keep moving forward. We had some combination play tonight, which is very useful for our future games, especially in terms of keeping possession under high pressure," China's head coach Alexander Jankovic noted after the match.

The results of the first two group matches have set the tone for China's campaign at this stage. While facing the gap in class against arch-rivals South Korea, China can't afford any missteps against Thailand and Singapore. A second place finish in this group will take the team to the next stage. Here are some insights from China's two qualifiers in November. 

Technically sublime players who are confident in dribbling the ball have rarely been seen in the national team in recent years. Winger Wei Shihao and midfielder Xie Pengfei have emerged from a nondescript squad with their attacking nous and ball possession skills, making them keys to China's progress into the next stage. 

A sober Wei proved to be a boon for the national team as his incisive surges down the left flank were too much to handle for the Thai players. After conceding a goal in a counterattack against Thailand, Wei stole possession in the midfield before breaking clear to set up forward Wu Lei for a quick equalizer that settled the nerves. 

The question is whether Wei can manage to stay composed during the campaign that stretches to June 2024. Wei, who is known for his erratic temperament and irrational actions on the pitch, turned the villain as he was sent off for kneeing a Vietnamese opponent in an Asian Champions League group match against Hanoi FC in early November. 

It was discouraging to see Xie, who was the provider in China's winning goal against Thailand, left on the bench against South Korea. Xie's technical ability and creativity make him the grand playmaker in this squad. 

All of the three goals China conceded against South Korea were from set pieces, with the first from a harsh decision on penalty by the referee. Although the referee's several calls caused controversy on Chinese social media after the match, China has to take heed of the slip-ups in defense. 

Managing to neutralize the South Koreans on open play reaffirmed the team's approach to play smart in counterattack. The towering center forward could be replaced for attacking midfielders with better work rate and pace, which could offer more opportunities in counterattack against the group leaders.

When faced with the two legs against Singapore in March, the team has no margin for error as those are the must-win games for China.

The average age of China's starting line-up in these two games was 30 years old. 

Young midfielders Dai Weijun and Gao Tianyi, who have established themselves in the domestic league, deserved more playing time.

When coming on as substitutes against South Korea, Dai and Wei made an instant impact with their pace and attacking prowess. 

Before the next group matches, China will turn its focus to the Asian Cup in Qatar in January 2024. 

That tournament offered the players a timely opportunity to work out their chemistry in preparation for the World Cup qualifiers.

The author is a reporter with the Global Times