Beijing Youth Daily revealed on July 28, Beijing time, about the latest preparations for the Chinese men's national soccer team (referred to as the national football team) to compete in the 18-team tournament, foreshadowing a new round of lineup adjustments and the trend of rejuvenation of the national football team.
National Football League (NFF) boss Ivankovic has reportedly returned to Beijing on the evening of July 27 after watching the match between Tianjin Jinmen Tigers and Qingdao West Coast. Immediately following this, the Chinese Football Association (CFA) plans to submit a preliminary entry list for the National Football League's 18-team tournament to the AFC in the near future, containing nearly 55 players. The list includes a number of newcomers and young players, including Hu Huotao from Chengdu Rongcheng, Shanghai Shenhua's Wang Haijian, Wuhan Sanzhen's Tao Qianglong, Beijing Guoan's Han Jiaqi, as well as Shandong Taishan's Abdul Meat Sully, who attracted the attention of the national soccer team's coaching staff by virtue of their outstanding performances in the league.
Ivankovic always takes "meeting the needs of the team" as his first consideration when selecting international players. This time, he paid special attention to the performance of naturalized striker Alan, and gave him high praise after he scored a goal, believing that Alan's skills can bring great help to the team.
However, while there is no shortage of rising stars on the list, there are also some regrets. For example, Hu Huotao, the recently in-form Rongcheng wingback, was unfortunately injured in a Chinese Super League match and is expected to take three weeks to recover, and therefore is likely to miss the first two rounds of the 18-team tournament in September. However, the coaching staff of the national soccer team is optimistic about Hu Huotao's ability and attitude, and expects him to make a comeback in the October matches.
In addition, Wei Shihao, who was additionally suspended for disciplinary action in the league, is also the center of attention. Although he is still likely to be selected for the roster, whether he can participate in the late August training is still uncertain. The coaching staff of the national soccer team and the Chinese Football Association are discussing this issue.
Most of the players selected for the initial registration squad are veteran faces who have been selected for the national soccer team at different times, and many of them have also participated in the previous 36-team tournament. However, with the team's transition from old to new, veterans like Wu Xi and Zhang Linpeng will probably gradually fade out of the 18-team enrollment lineup to make room for more young players.
