From a younger team avenging a loss to Saudi Arabia! After a seven-year wait, a triumphant return at the Toulon Tournament as China's national youth strategy advances systematically

Chief reporter Chen Yong reports Seven years later, a Chinese national youth team has once again taken the field at the Toulon Tournament. In the opening match last night, the China U19 national team (07 National Youth Team) beat Saudi Arabia's U21 squad 1-0, returning to the competition with a win—prevailing despite being the younger side. The victory avenged the 05 National Youth Team's elders and marked a personal vindication for head coach Jurgjević.

While the 07 National Youth Team competes in the Toulon Tournament, the senior national team, the U23 national team, the 10 National Youth Team, and the 11 National Youth Team have either started or are about to begin training camps and matches. In the June campaign for China's national teams, a new, systematic strategy is being steadily implemented, featuring alternating home-and-away schedules for the senior team, a "big national team" construction approach, and overseas competition plans.

The team representing China in this Toulon Tournament is the 07 National Youth Team. According to the tournament's age requirements, teams from the U23 level down to the 07 age group, and even the 08 age group, are eligible to participate. The Chinese Football Association chose the 07 National Youth Team for developmental purposes. Although some teams in the tournament are of the same age, the 07 National Youth Team often plays against older opponents, including their opening match against Saudi Arabia's U21 side.

From the start, the 07 National Youth Team did not fall behind in physicality or tactics. In the 12th minute, they used crisp passing to move the ball to the right flank, where a cross was delivered. The Saudi defenders failed to clear it, and in the ensuing scramble, Zhang Jiaming poked the ball home, which deflected off the Saudi goalkeeper and a defender before crossing the line. This was China's first goal in the Toulon Tournament in seven years, ending a long wait for Chinese fans.

The 07 National Youth Team performed well overall in the first half and showed promise early in the second. In the 60th minute, Saudi player Ghamdi was sent off after receiving a second yellow card for arguing with the referee. Notably, his first yellow card came from a straightforward red-card offense—a reckless kick aimed at Huang Shenghao's ankle. This incident highlighted the Saudi team's repeated rough, ball-ignoring fouls throughout the match.

Unfortunately, having a man advantage did not improve the 07 National Youth Team's situation; instead, Saudi's U21 side became more aggressive. During this period, two issues surfaced for the U19 team: first, a lack of stamina—partly due to their younger age and insufficient systematic play, but also reflecting individual deficiencies among the players; second, inconsistent tactical thinking, leading to mismatched offensive and defensive decisions among teammates. However, the latter issue is relatively easier to correct.

Both of these problems, along with the varying performances of the 07 National Youth Team players during the match, are partly attributable to their differing levels of previous competition experience and frequency. This also requires appropriate reflections from the team and players. However, the current 07 National Youth Team is not yet at full strength. Players like Wang Gengrui, Yang Zhanpeng, and Jia Weiwei, who participated in the 15th round of the Chinese Super League, will join the team in France after the league fixtures conclude.

Although the 07 National Youth Team faded in the latter stages, it was encouraging that their overall tactical system was evident. They largely continued the defensive-focused style and midfield organization of the 05 National Youth Team, though this match saw them adopt a three-center-back formation.

More impressively, the 07 National Youth Team defeated a Saudi side two years their senior. This same Saudi team had been China's opponent in the crucial U20 Asian Cup quarterfinal in 2025, where the 05 National Youth Team missed a penalty and ultimately lost, missing out on the U20 World Cup. Thus, this opening victory not only served as revenge for the 05 National Youth Team's older players but also represented a personal redemption for Jurgjević. The increasing frequency of wins for China's national youth teams across various tournaments will also boost the confidence of our young players.

As the U19 national team (07 National Youth Team) begins its Toulon Tournament campaign, the first batch of senior national team players has already gathered in Shanghai. According to the plan, the senior team will face Singapore's national team on June 5 in Singapore, then return to China for a second international A-level match against Thailand on June 9 in Jinhua, Zhejiang. Following their two FIFA series matches in Australia during the March international break, the June training camp features a "one away, one home" schedule—mirroring the rhythm of World Cup qualifiers. This aims to simulate official competition conditions and lay a solid foundation for future official matches, marking a significant shift in the senior team's development system.

The U23 national team will play Tajikistan's U23 side on June 6 in Zunyi, followed by another match against the same opponent on June 9 in Guiyang. The U23 team's only remaining official competition is the Asian Games in September. In fact, the U23 team and the upcoming U21 national team (05 Olympic team) are closely linked: out of the 25 players called up for this U23 camp, 15 are eligible for the 05 Olympic team. Including the five U21 players training with the senior team, there are 20 players from the 05 Olympic age group across both the senior and U23 teams, with some additional eligible players absent due to injury.

Another noteworthy point: after both the senior and U23 national teams finish their respective two international friendlies, they will simultaneously head to Dalian for joint training camps, running until June 17 and June 16 respectively. The league resumes on June 26, giving players ample recovery and reintegration time with their clubs after the national team camps. The decision to hold both camps in Dalian stems largely from the significant overlap in personnel between the two squads. Moreover, senior team head coach Shao Jiayi and U23 head coach Antonio have long worked together harmoniously—a setup that initially reflects the "big national team" construction strategy.

The purpose of this arrangement is twofold: on one hand, the senior team can continue evaluating other U23 or U21 players from the U23 squad, while the U23 team can assess overage players from the senior team. Previously, the National Team Management Department had consulted with Antonio regarding the arrangement of overage players.

The 07 National Youth Team's participation in the Toulon Tournament is a key part of China's overseas competition planning. Earlier this year, the 10 National Youth Team took part in the Montaigu Tournament, and the 11 National Youth Team competed in the Italy National Cup—achievements made possible by the new overseas tournament strategy for national youth teams.

The 11 National Youth Team has not yet begun its camp. According to information obtained by reporters, they will train from June 7 to June 15. On the women's side, the Chinese women's national team has already held a training camp in Wuhan and will play two matches against the Russian women's team—on June 3 and June 7—with the June 3 match open to fans.