At the ripe old age of 35, Tan Long has been included in the national team's Asian Games squad with his superb performance, a move that has left many fans puzzled: is Tan Long a force to be reckoned with, or is his performance so dazzling that he is still selected even in his late thirties?
Facing such a situation, Coach Jankovic is really helpless. After all, Chinese soccer has such a narrow selection space in the high center forward position. Although there is no shortage of players in other positions in the national soccer team, there has never been an ideal reinforcement in this key position in the national team's lineup. Therefore, even though Tan Long is past his prime, he still needs to play in high-intensity matches.
Zhang Yuning may be a good choice, but his injury-prone body makes the coaches have little trust in him. From Lippi to Li Tie, to Li Xiaopeng, and finally to Jankovic, Zhang Yuning has been selected many times, but he has never been the best choice for any of the coaches. Even though he is not the best choice, he is still an indispensable part of the team.
However, Tan Long is getting on in years. No matter how good his form is, his physical ability and speed are ultimately limited. He will inevitably suffer from physical exhaustion in the face of opponents' sprints. But given the lack of available talent in the center forward position of the national football team, the coaching staff has to continue to rely on Tan Long.
In the 18th round of the Chinese Super League (CSL), Tianjin Jinsmen Tigers, in the midst of their glorious record of 16 rounds of undefeated matches, were challenged to face a struggling Shenzhen team. I thought Tianjin Jinmen Tigers would win easily, but I didn't expect Shenzhen to break the deadlock first. It wasn't until the 56th minute of the second half that Tianjin Jinmen Tigers equalized with an assist from Barton and a goal from Wang Qiuming. However, shockingly, Tianjin Jinmen Tigers conceded goals in the next 6 minutes. So, will this team suffer two consecutive defeats after their undefeated streak was broken?
Fortunately, Xie Weijun stepped up at the crucial moment. In the 84th and 86th minutes, he scored two goals in just three minutes to help Tianjin Jinmen Tigers equalize. Although he scored later, the goal was ruled out by referee Wang Di due to a collision with the goalkeeper.
As a matter of fact, Xie Weijun, who is 1.90 meters tall, is an excellent candidate for high center forward. Coach Yankovic doesn't need to rely too much on Tan Long and Zhang Yuning, he can give young players like Xie Weijun more chances to show themselves. Xie Weijun not only has a clear height advantage and outstanding speed, but also is very flexible, which is especially rare among high center forwards.
As a second-generation soccer star, Xie Weijun's talent is undeniable, but in the past few years, he has never been able to maximize his talent. Since Coach Gen Wei took over, Xie Weijun has exploded into form under his guidance, finally showing fans his star potential.
Coach Jankovic might want to listen to the fans' advice and give Xie Weijun some chances to prove himself in the national soccer team, which might come as an unexpected surprise. After all, apart from Wu Lei, the other players are not that far apart in terms of strength, so giving newcomers a chance is necessary. As a matter of fact, Xie Weijun's teammate Barton has also performed quite well in the past two seasons, which also deserves the attention and reuse of the coaching staff!
