National soccer team collects two wins in Vietnam warm-up matches
In a tense and intense warm-up match in Vietnam, our national soccer team ended its undefeated streak of nearly two months with a 2-0 victory thanks to excellent play. Compared to a month ago, the team's lineup has undergone a major reshuffle, with numerous Asian Games players successfully promoted to the national team.
Coach Yankovic adopted a 352 formation layout in order to strengthen the control of the midfield, with newcomers Fang Hao and Liu Yang playing as wingbacks, while Wu Xi and Li Ke solidified the midfield. However, in the first half of the game, Wu Xi and Li Ke failed to fully play their key role of connecting the front and back of the field.
In the second half, Jankovic decisively replaced Wu Xi with Dai Weijun, and the national soccer team then turned the tide, with substitute Wang Qiuming scoring a crucial goal. Despite the 34-year-old's experience, Wu Xi's decline in the league and national team has caused concern among fans. Numerous fans called on Jankovic to ditch Wu Xi to make room for younger players.
Some Shanghai fans have suggested that a midfielder from Hong Kong could replace Wu Xi. However, Shandong media revealed that the current Hong Kong international is unable to represent the national team due to a controversial incident in the Chinese Super League.
Although the media did not disclose the name of the player, fans generally speculated the identity of the player. He studied in Europe and played for La Liga giants Atletico Madrid before joining Guangzhou Evergrande, where he won several championships, and then moved to Shandong Taishan in the 2021 season, where he became the centerpiece of the team's midfield. However, he was then poached by Shanghai Harbor with a high salary and his form declined.
The player had been dropped by Hong Kong coach Leko due to red cards and poor form. This season, Javier took over as Hong Kong's coach and the player returned to the starting lineup, but his performance was still unsatisfactory. In the remaining three rounds of the Chinese Super League, he still has not scored and assisted.
Despite this, the player has been selected for the national team several times this year and suffered his first loss only this month. Some fans believe that this is due to poor performance in the warm-up matches, but there are also rumors that he was recently taken away by the relevant departments for investigation. Although the rumors have not yet been confirmed, it is difficult to say whether they are true or not in the context of the "anti-corruption" storm in domestic soccer.
