China's national soccer team is set to face Thailand in their opening World Cup qualifier away from home at 20:30 on Thursday in a highly anticipated match. The Chinese Football Association (CFA) has previously stated that naturalized player Eickson is not on the list, while Guoan star Zhang Yuning is out of the Chinese Super League this season, sparking much speculation among fans. Despite a dip in his form, Eickson is still one of the best strikers in the country in terms of individual strength. Zhang Yuning's absence will undoubtedly be regretted by many fans.
Before departing for Thailand, Jankovic explained candidly in an interview why he gave up on Eickson in favor of Zhang Yuning. In an exclusive interview, director Yang was outspoken in his belief that Zhang Yuning is the best striker in the current national team. Zhang Yuning is crucial to the future of the national team, not only is he a typical No.9 striker, he is the best striker in Chinese soccer. His ability to take on the task of carrying the ball is crucial.
From the early warm-up matches, Ackerson's form has slipped significantly, failing to score in many warm-up matches. Yankovic also made a new attempt at the center forward position, introducing Tan Long, who had an eye-catching performance after the Asian Games, and Xie Weijun, the main center forward of the Tianjinmen Tigers. Both of these veterans have had excellent performances in the warm-up matches. On a personal note, veteran Tan Long is likely to start at center forward against Thailand, despite Zhang Yuning being called up to the roster.
Attackers such as Zhang Yuning and Wei Shihao may serve as substitutes. In the second half, as the opponent's fitness declined, the substitutes took the field to put pressure on the opponent's defense. Zhang Yuning, as a young player, has played for European clubs such as Holland's Vitesse, Bremen and West Bromwich Albion, and was one of the first Chinese players to study abroad. His physicality and awareness are second to none among domestic strikers. As a fan, I expect Zhang Yuning to quickly find his form and perform well in the match against Thailand, helping the national soccer team to win and live up to the trust of Coach Jankovic and the fans.
I am more worried about the back line than the forward line of the national soccer team. The injury to naturalized player Jiang Guangtai has made the defense even worse. In addition, the main goalkeeper Yan Junling's performance is sometimes excellent and sometimes unstable. If there is a break in the defense of the national football team and Thailand seizes the opportunity to break through the goal, the national football team's road trip will become extremely difficult, and the situation of the World Cup qualifying group may not be as expected. However, no matter what the result is, we have to cheer for the players of the national football team and hope they can deliver a satisfactory answer.
