The first is 36-year-old striker Tan Long. Tan Long was very disappointing in the previously concluded Asian Cup. As the center forward of the national football team replacing Eckerson, he simply did not play the proper tactical value and was hardly the so-called pivot point in front of the field. As you can see from the game, Tan Long's form has shown a clear downward trend as he gets older. By the beginning of April this year, Tan Long was 36 years old. Considering the upgrading of the national soccer team, it is likely that Ivankovic will choose to drop Tan Long due to his mediocre performance.
The second person who might be dumped by Ivankovic is Wu Xi, the former captain of the national soccer team. Without realizing it, Wu Xi is 35 years old. Undeniably, Wu Xi has been an indispensable midfielder for the national team in the past 10 years. He is good at both offense and defense, and his comprehensive ability is very comprehensive. In the national team, he not only has to be the intercepting and stealing midfielder, but also has to shoulder the important mission from defense to offense. However, with the growth of age, Wu Xi's condition has obviously declined. Not long ago, at the end of the Asian Cup, Wu Xi's performance was not as good as before. He could not make him become the "metronome" of the national football team's offense and defense transition. Therefore, like Tan Long, Wu Xi should also be excluded from the list of the national football team by the new coach Ivankovic.
The third veteran who could be discarded is Li Lei from Beijing Guoan. Li Lei is 31 years old. Although he is a few years younger than Wu Xi and Tan Long, his form has gradually declined with age. Furthermore, in Li Lei's left back position, with the rise of the younger generation of international players in Li Shuai and Liu Yang, Li Lei's role seems to be somewhat dispensable. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that Li Lei should also fade out of the national team's lineup sequence.
While all three of the above are former decorated players of the national team, as a new coach, Ivankovic is sure to make cuts based on his own judgment and will never go soft. Expect him to build a new, more combative national team.
