Half of Shanghai Seaport's players are from overseas, and in the match against Baton Rouge United, the national team's number one coach, Jankovic, took the field himself. However, at the end of the match, Jankovic was full of frustration as three of Shanghai Harbor's players were out of the tournament!
Shanghai Seaport's current squad is quite similar to Guangzhou Evergrande's of yesteryear, a group of plucky coaching staff propped up by more than half of their international players and foreign aiders. However, in stark contrast to Guangzhou Evergrande's double AFC Champions League win, Shanghai Seaport failed in the play-offs. Precisely because the team has half international players, Jankovic, as the coach of the national soccer team, was there to get a glimpse of the strength of these selected players. Nevertheless, he was extremely disappointed with the performance of some of the players.
Zhang Linmiao, a veteran of the national team, has always been a mainstay of the backline, no matter how many coaches have changed. However, since Lippi took charge, his form has deteriorated, and the oulong goal in the Syria match made him lose all his confidence. He has often lost his place in the club and national team due to his poor form. Zhang Linmiao was to blame for the three consecutive defeats in the first match against Batun United and Shanghai Seaport. Especially the goal in the second match, as if he was trapped by a fixation spell, watching the opponents in their own penalty area, shot after shot. Now, Zhang Lin sees his team's plight in the international arena, but seems powerless to do anything about it.
Next, let's talk about goalkeeper Yan Junling. Since Zeng Cheng retired, Yan Junling has been sitting firmly in the national team's goalkeeper position, but the skepticism is constant. Yan Junling's character is too mild and it is difficult for him to show his brave side in the game. He was always too satisfied. How do the fans describe Yan Junling nowadays? They affectionately call him "The Regent". As the name suggests, as long as the opponent shoots at the front, they can basically break through his defense. Shanghai Harbour went down 2-3 to Baton Rouge United in this match. Although the backline was full of holes, Yan Junling could not be blamed. Facing such Yan Junling, Yankovic can only shake his head and sigh, lamenting that he is a goalkeeper.
Another awkward player in the backline is Stanley Wong, nicknamed "Necklace" by the fans. I still remember that in the warm-up match against Myanmar, Stanley even wore a necklace on the field. He was even expelled from the national team for a year. I thought he would not be able to play for the national team again, but the coach of the national soccer team gave him a chance.
To be honest, Stanley Wong should be one of the worst players in the Shanghai Harbour national team. Firstly, the fundamentals are not solid, even stopping the ball looks out of reach; secondly, lack of aggressiveness and looks like he is playing perma-ball during the game. In a game where Stanley Wang's performance in the backline was disappointing, Jankovic may soon remove him from the squad.
All three of the above are veterans over 30 years of age who have never achieved significant results with the national team. Recruiting them to the national team is undoubtedly a waste of resources. It is better to train newcomers as soon as possible. What is your opinion on this?
