On the evening of August 22, Beijing time, a much-anticipated AFC Champions League play-off match ended. Super League leader Shanghai Seaport suffered a big cold at their home field, losing to Pathum United from the middle of the Thai Super League with a score of 2-3, and very regretfully lost the chance to enter the main round of the AFC Champions League. The result was a disgrace.
For this match, there are many Chinese men's soccer players in the Harbour's squad, while the opponent, Batang United, also has many active Thai men's soccer players. Therefore, the head coach of Chinese men's soccer team, Yankovic, also came to Pudong Stadium to watch the match. But the final result was obviously very disappointing for Jankovic. According to a well-known reporter in China, Yankovic did not get any surprise after the match, except for the "shock".
In the match, Harbour's backline, anchored by Jiang Guangtai, Zhang Linmiao, and Wang Shenchao, is almost the current mainstay of the national football team. But this main backline of the national football team, the defense looked full of holes when facing the mid-table team of the Thai Premier League.
Zhang Lin Yun, the 34-year-old captain of the national soccer team, was even more responsible for the three goals conceded in the harbor. Therefore, celebrity journalist Shen Wei called on Zhang Linwei not to start in the national soccer team's world qualifying match, in which he was absolutely behind the Thai players in terms of speed and anticipation.
In addition, the main goalkeeper of the national football team, Yan Junling, also became a "shot dead". Not only did the international soccer team perform poorly on the defense line, even Wu Lei, the first brother of the national soccer team, did not perform as well as he should have in this game. It is not surprising that Yankovic saw the harbor international footballers collectively depressed.
Three months from now, on November 16th, the Chinese men's soccer team will challenge Thailand in the World Qualifier. I believe Seaport's exit in the AFC Champions League will provide a necessary reminder, if not a warning, to Jankovic and the Chinese men's soccer team that will be playing in the World Qualifier. I believe Jankovic will take the Harbour's loss into consideration and further seek ways to improve the defense of the Chinese football team. It is time to make trade-offs and give up on some of the under-performing international players.
