In preparation for two World Qualifying matches in November and the Asian Cup next January, the Chinese Football Association (CFA) has invited Uzbekistan and Vietnam to play warm-up matches against the national soccer team. The Chinese national team will also start new training in October. In the two warm-up matches in September, the Chinese team did not perform well. In order to prepare for the World Cup qualifiers and the Asian Cup, Jankovic is likely to drastically change the national team's lineup.
Three overage players, Tan Long, Gao Tianyi and Liu Yang, who were pulled from the Asian Games training squad, will return to the national soccer roster. Naturalized international player Eckerson still hasn't shaken off his slump with the national soccer team. In two warm-up matches in September, Eckerson has played 150 minutes for China. The embarrassing statistic of zero shots on goal and zero shots on target may cause Eickson to lose the trust of head coach Yang Kovic. 35-year-old veteran Tan Long had a great performance at the Asian Games. Tan Long scored twice against Myanmar, and the former top scorer in the Central League remains in pretty good form. In addition, Guoan's main center forward Zhang Yuning finally recovered from his injury.
Yankovic's reuse of the Harbor Gang on the defensive end also caused a heated discussion among fans. Media and fans questioned the performance of Yan Junling and Zhang Linmiao. According to Sports Weekly reporter Ma Dexing, Wu Shaocong, who is currently playing in an overseas league, will likely be included in the training roster of the new national soccer team. Born in Evergrande's soccer academy, Wu Shaocong is currently studying in Turkey, where he has established himself in the second-tier Turkish league. He has made several starts for the team, and the club even refused to let Wu Shaochong participate in the Hangzhou Asian Games. Wu Shao Cong will likely replace Zhang Zhang Lin Miao as the partner of Jiang Guangtai, another naturalized international player.
In addition to Wu Shaocong, Dai Weijun, the core of the midfield who performed well in the Asian Games training team, will also return to the national football team. Now it seems that the captain of the national football team, Wu Xi, is the well-deserved core of the national football team's midfield. Whether it's match experience or personal ability, Wu Xi is a worthy leader of the national soccer locker room. However, with age, Wu Xi's athleticism has also declined, and it is unrealistic to expect him to fight for the national football team for a long time. Dai Weijun has been touted as the future center midfielder of the national football team during Lippi's tenure. Had it not been for his Asian Games commitments, Dai Weijun would surely have been included in Jankovic's national team list, together with Guoan's twin star Gao Tian.
