In the Asian Champions League play-offs, there was a shocking cold snap for Port, the top-ranked team in the Chinese Super League! They lost 2-3 to Pathum United, the eighth-ranked team in the Thai Premier League, with five internationals including Wu Lei, Yan Junling, Wang Shenchao, Jiang Guangtai and Zhang Linlian, plus top foreigners such as Oscar.
This amazing cold war also set off alarm bells for the national soccer team coach Jankovic! Because the national soccer team was divided into the same group with Thailand in the world preliminaries. Looking at the configuration and strength of the Port team, they were clearly stronger than the national soccer team, but eventually lost the game. If Jankovic continues to reuse the Port's international players, I'm afraid he'll be in the gutter!
Looking at the match between Port and Baton Rouge United, the performance of Port's top three international players was a disaster. These three are Wu Lei, Yan Jun Ling and Stanley Wong! Among them, Wu Lei, the top scorer in the Chinese Super League, was almost invisible against Baton Rouge United. He simply doesn't shoot at the same level in front of goal compared to the Chinese Super League.
Many fans also criticized Wu Lei, who always dropped the ball at critical moments. Especially, he missed the chance to equalize the score in the last minute, which made many fans feel sorry and regret.
Wu Lei is 32 years old. If Jankovic continues to expect him to be the savior of the Chinese men's soccer team, I'm afraid he'll be disappointed then. After all, once a striker is over 32, his competitive form starts to decline.
Apart from Wu Lei, Stanley Wong was also in terrible form. His performance on the defensive end can only be described as disastrous. In the post match score, Stanley Wong only got 2 points. Many fans also suggested that Stanley Wong should not enter the national team.
The national soccer team goalkeeper Yan Junling also failed in his performance. Many fans even gave him only 2 points. As the first goalkeeper of the national soccer team, the gate guarded by Yan Junling has been pierced three times by the former Guoan veteran. It cannot be said that he is not responsible. He can only say that he is inconsistent when it comes to key battles!
It's worth reminding that Wu Lei, Yan Jun Ling and Wang Shenchao are all over 32 years old. This also shows that their current form can only be the outlaws of the Chinese Super League. Once they leave the Chinese Super League, they can only be defeated even against Thailand.
These international players over the age of 32 also pose a problem for national soccer coach Jankovic. I am afraid that if we continue to recruit these veterans as future starters for the World Qualifier in November, it will be difficult for the national soccer team to knock out Thailand and advance to the next stage of the World Qualifier.
According to the grouping of the world qualifiers, the national soccer team is divided into the same group with South Korea and Thailand. We can only advance to the top 18 if we finish in the top two. This means that the national soccer team must eliminate Thailand. Otherwise, the national soccer team will miss the 2026 World Cup very early.
Ultimately, do you think the national soccer team will be able to beat Thailand if they continue to rely on veterans like Wu Lei, Yan Junling and Wang Shenchao?
