This year, the country's U24 national soccer team will be tasked with competing in the Hangzhou Asian Games in September. Led by Djurdjevic, the team recently played two warm-up matches against South Korea at home in China, which were presented with one win and one loss. One match was a 1-3 defeat against South Korea, while the other was a 1-0 victory. These two matches certainly show that the U24 national soccer team is strong enough to compete with the top teams in Asia after absorbing three overage players.
However, in order to win international tournaments such as the Asian Games, overage players need to be assisted by experienced veterans. For example, mention Wu Lei. If the 36-year-old Ai Junmin veteran can provide support for the U24 national soccer team, it will undoubtedly be crucial for the core position of the midfield, which will significantly improve the overall strength of the team.
Looking back at the U24 national soccer team's warm-up matches against South Korea, 98-year-old Gao Tianyi, 95-year-old Barton and veteran Tan Long were all involved in both games. Obviously, Tan Long played as a striker in the 4-5-1 formation, but his performance on the attacking end was not eye-catching. Although his inclusion in the team has strengthened the squad, if Tan Long could be replaced by Wu Lei, the U24 national football team's attacking power could at least be doubled.
Wu Lei has dominated the Chinese Super League this season, leading the scoring charts with seven goals, and is also the second highest scorer in the entire list. In the warm-up matches in June, he scored against Myanmar and Palestine respectively, showing excellent attacking ability and keen insight into the game. If Wu Lei becomes the core of the strikers, it will dramatically enhance the offensive firepower of the U24 national football team, as well as teach young players the tactics they studied in Europe.
It is worth mentioning that 95-year-old Barton plays well in the midfield of the U24 national soccer team and has a good understanding with his teammates. However, his midfield organization needs to be improved to create new tactical highlights. 1987-born Hao Junmin is one of the best midfielders in Chinese men's soccer and has represented the national team in many international matches, including World Cup qualifiers. If the U24 national soccer team can invite Hao Junmin to join as a veteran, it will greatly improve the strength of the midfield, and can even compete with the national team.
Artemisia became the absolute core of the national team in the Top 40 and Top 12 of the world qualifiers. Despite his outstanding foot skills, as he grows older and in the context of the team's rejuvenation, Artemis has fewer opportunities to return to the national team. However, it is still expected that he will join the Asian Games team and provide a boost to the team before he retires. If Wu Lei and Artemis can control the front and midfield respectively, and Gao Tianyi continues to provide support in the backline, the national football team will not only be able to play well in the defensive end, but also achieve remarkable results in the offensive end. In this way, it will be easier to compete for the title in the Asian Games and other competitions.
