The first to face the doubt is the 36-year-old frontline veteran Tan Long. Looking back at the Asian Cup, Tan Long's performance was quite disappointing. As the main center forward to replace Ackerson, Tan Long failed to show his tactical value, and his role as a pivot in front of the field was almost blank. His performance on the field of play also revealed that his form has been deteriorating with age. Now, at the beginning of April, Tan Long is about to turn 36 years old. Given the improved strength of the national soccer team and Tan Long's mediocre performances, it is likely that Coach Ivankovic will eliminate him from the squad.
And the second one who may be discarded by the coach is Wu Xi, the former captain of the national soccer team. Without realizing it, Wu Xi has already turned 35 years old. Undeniably, in the past decade, Wu Xi has always been an indispensable midfield force for the national team, with excellent performances in both offense and defense, and with all-round abilities. On the stage of the national team, he not only has to play the role of intercepting and stealing, but also has to shoulder the heavy responsibility of converting from defense to offense. However, with age, Wu Xi's form declined significantly. In the final stage of the Asian Cup, Wu Xi's performance failed to meet expectations, he is no longer able to play as the national football team's offensive and defensive conversion "commander". Similar to Tan Long, Wu Xi will be excluded from the national team list by new coach Ivankovic.
The third veteran facing the problem of staying and going is Li Lei of Beijing Guoan. Li Lei is now 31 years old. Although he is younger than Wu Xi and Tan Long, the signs of age are gradually appearing on his body. With the rise of young internationals such as Li Shuai and Liu Yang in the left back position, Li Lei's role seems to have become less crucial. Therefore, it seems reasonable for Li Lei to fade out of the national team lineup.
Despite the fact that these three players have been the heroes of the national team, the new coach, Ivankovic, will make adjustments based on his own judgment and will not be soft. We expect him to create a new national team with more fighting spirit.
