According to the latest report by senior reporter Ma Dexing of Sports Weekly, Chinese men's national team head coach Ivan Kovic has formally finalized the preliminary list for the 18-team tournament and is pressing ahead with the final selection of players. In order to select the best players to participate in the late August training in Dalian, Ivan personally traveled to the site of the Chinese Super League, close observation of the performance of the international players.
Since returning to China, Ivan has swiftly completed the submission of a large list of players for the tournament and the inspection of the first home tournament area in accordance with the requirements of FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). Now, his main focus is on selecting those players who are in the best competitive shape to ensure the national team can perform at their best in the 18-team tournament.
Due to his advanced age, Ivan has made careful arrangements for his viewing schedule, choosing to watch the Chinese Super League matches in his neighborhood to get a fuller picture of his players' real-time status. Over the past week, Ivan has watched a number of key matches, including Beijing Guoan versus Tianjin Jinmen Tigers, Cangzhou Lions versus Shanghai Shenhua, and Tianjin Jinmen Tigers versus Qingdao West Coast. In these matches, Ivan paid special attention to the performance of naturalized striker Alan. Alan was in hot form for West Coast, not only scoring a goal, but also hitting the goal frame with his shot. His form has improved significantly compared to that of June this year, which undoubtedly adds a touch of color to the front line of the national football team.
Next, the Chinese Super League will also stage a number of high-profile matches, such as Shandong Taishan versus Shanghai Harbor, Beijing Guoan versus Shanghai Shenhua, and the much-anticipated "Shanghai Derby" - Shanghai Shenhua versus Shanghai Harbor. Ivan said that these matches will be the focus of his attention, he may go to the scene to watch the game, in order to more intuitively assess the players' state of mind and teamwork ability.
Shandong Taishan will also host their AFC Elite League play-off opponent on August 13th. Although this match is not directly related to the national team training, Ivan also expressed his concern about Taishan's performance. He hopes to further understand the domestic players' ability to cope with high-pressure situations and their technical level through this game, so as to provide reference for the next national team training.
As the 18-team tournament draws nearer, Ivan and his coaching team are putting all their efforts into the final preparations for the tournament. They hope that through meticulous inspection and selection, they will form a fighting and in-form national team to fight for the glory of Chinese soccer in the Asian tournament.
