First, Coach Djordjevic opened his mouth by saying, “I would like to express my deep gratitude to the citizens of Hangzhou for their great support from the first game to the last game.”
He also said, "It's a pity that we met a powerhouse in the Asian Games in the quarterfinals. The Korean team had many options today. There are players from Europe and the entire team is very strong. I want to congratulate the Korean team."
Regarding the two goals conceded, he said, "We had a careful plan, but unfortunately there was chaos in the first 30 minutes and we made a lot of mistakes. On the contrary, we had many chances to score. In the second half, we were very persistent. The players were committed on the pitch. In terms of results, we were the best in Chinese football. “We have taken a small step. I believe it will be good for future development,” he said, raising his voice.
China, whose best ever finish was a runner-up finish at the 1994 Asian Games in Hiroshima, Japan, set its sights on reaching the semifinals at this tournament held in Hangzhou. Coach Djordjevic, who had a long career as a coach for the Serbian national team and professional teams, was entrusted with the leadership of the Asian Games with the hope of getting into the medal league.
In two friendly matches against Korea last June, China lost the first game 1-3, but gained confidence by winning 1-0 in the second game.
They passed the group stage in first place and seemed to be getting closer to their goal of reaching the semifinals by beating Qatar 1-0 in the round of 16, but their journey ended when they were blocked by Korea in the quarterfinals
Regarding the gap with Korea, Coach Djordjevic said, "The game is 90 minutes. Our team has a lot of problems. We have to find solutions. Many good players were unable to play today. It is very difficult to find replacements. Last time we played them. “When they won, they also studied us and found a way. The Korean team is the best team (this tournament),” he emphasized.
Coach Djordjevic, who has led the Asian Games national team for more than half a year, said, "I am very proud to coach the Chinese team. Of course, it is normal for a player to play for his own team, but playing for the national team is not about making money, but about serving the country." "The Asian Games are a completely different level of competition. Our players have to find a way to beat teams with different styles. Of course, losing to the Korean team can help us grow. If we want to improve, we need to play against strong teams," he added. .
Korea will clash with Uzbekistan in the semifinals to advance to the finals. Uzbekistan won 2-1 in the quarterfinals against Saudi Arabia held before Korea at the same stadium on the same day and advanced to the finals.