As the Chinese Super League season takes a small break, the national team jumps into the soccer spotlight.
Recently, under Jankovic, the national soccer team has been geared up, with the Olympic team commanded by Sung Yeo-dong and the Asian team led by Djurdjevic. Tomorrow, the Olympic team will be challenged in the first round of the U23 Asian Cup in Dalian, against none other than the UAE, the arch rivals of the Asian qualifiers for the Paris Olympics. Chinese soccer's new Olympic journey is about to kick off.
In the national team lineup, Shanghai's two powerhouses - Shenhua and Seaport - have become the cradle of talent delivery. In the training list of the national team, Seaport contributes 4 players, while Shenhua has 1. The Olympic team has 3 players from Seaport, while Shenhua contributes 5 rookies; the Asian Games team even has 8 players from Shenhua. The three teams called up their main players at the same time, adding to the difficulty of Shenhua and Harbour's rest and preparation. Shenhua even small confrontation training players are difficult to get together. Shencheng fans jokingly said: "Sometimes, the national team called up too many players, will also bring trouble."
Shenhua and Harbour had a headache in the face of manpower shortage dilemma. However, with the break between the league and the AFC Cup, the outside world is more concerned about whether coaches such as Jankovic can make full use of their players and bring surprises to the fans.
Yesterday, Jankovic held a short press conference before his regular training session in Chengdu. Talking about player selection and pairings, Jankovic said, "The national team roster is always open for players who meet the standard. We will pay attention to the performance of all candidates." During the training session, Shenhua captain Wu Xi returned from injury and was named captain. Yankovic emphasized, "Wu Xi's return means a lot to the team, his experience and ability is a valuable asset to the team."
Apart from Shenhua captain Wu Xi, seaportside defender Li Shuai was also selected for the national team. But most of the players are the same as the last training list. Jankovic has his own plan for the team framework. "Player selection will follow principles. The coaching staff has clear requirements for technical, tactical and mental strength. Players who meet the requirements have a chance." Yankovic's statement reveals that with some time to go before the New World Qualifiers, scouting for more players and determining tactical ideas and playing styles are still the national team's main tasks at the moment.
The Olympic team seeking to qualify for the Paris Olympics will first face the UAE before the national team travels. In the first phase of the qualifying tournament, China were grouped with the UAE, India and Maldives. Under the tournament system, the first and four best second-placed teams from the 11 groups will advance to the U23 Asian Cup in Qatar, with the top three finishers in the Asian Cup earning tickets to the Olympics. Whether Cheng Yaodong and his team can achieve their goal in their opening match against the UAE will be a battle of the bulge.
