Jiang Shenglong's outstanding performance in the Chinese Super League has undoubtedly pleased national team boss Ivankovic. The World Cup qualifiers will restart in June, and the first match will be against Thailand, who are not to be underestimated. Only with a victory over Thailand will China have any hope of advancing to the World Cup. Although Jiang Shenglong has made many previous appearances for the national team, he has failed to become an absolute main defender. However, after his consistently excellent performance in the Chinese Super League, Ivankovic may revisit Jiang Shenglong's strength.
Controlling the height of the game is crucial when facing an agile opponent like Thailand. Jiang Shenglong not only has excellent all-round skills, but he is also the tallest defender in the Chinese national team with a height of 193 centimeters, while Zhu Chenjie and Jiang Guangtai are not as tall as him. Therefore, in order to make full use of the height advantage against the Thai team, it is expected that coach Ivan will choose Jiang Shenglong to start in the back line, while Zhu Chenjie and Jiang Guangtai, one of them may lose the starting position and turn to the bench. In terms of tacit understanding, it is obvious that Zhu Chenjie is more suitable to partner with Jiang Shenglong. As a result, naturalized player Jiang Guangtai may lose his starting position and become a substitute for the national team.
Hopefully Jiang Shenglong will be able to withstand the test and surprise Chinese fans by becoming the new hope of the national team's backline.
