This September, the U24 national soccer team will be in action at the Hangzhou Asian Games. Led by Djurdjevic, the team has already played two warm-up matches against South Korea at home in China, with a record of one win and one loss. Although they lost 1-3 against South Korea, they won 1-0, and these two matches showed that the U24 national soccer team is strong enough to compete with the top teams in Asia after the introduction of three overage players.
However, if they want to win intercontinental tournaments such as the Asian Games, the overage players need the assistance of more senior players. For example, a veteran like Wu Lei. If 36-year-old Ai Junmin can join the U24 team, he will undoubtedly bring important support to the midfield and significantly improve the strength of the team.
Gao Tianyi, 98, Barton, 95, and veteran Tan Long were all involved in the U24 national soccer team's warm-up match against South Korea. Tan Long, as the only striker in the 4-5-1 formation, did not have an eye-catching performance on the offensive end. Although his inclusion in the team has strengthened the squad, the attacking power of the U24 national soccer team could have been at least doubled if he had been replaced by Wu Lei.
Wu Lei has dominated the Chinese Super League's top scorer list this season, leading the way with seven goals, and is also the second highest scorer. He scored in the national football team's warm-up matches against Myanmar and Palestine, with excellent offensive ability and tactical understanding. If Wu Lei becomes the centerpiece of the front court, it will greatly enhance the offensive firepower of the U24 national football team, and at the same time, he can also bring the old to the new, and impart the tactical experience of studying in Europe.
Barton has been working well with his teammates in the midfield of the U24 national soccer team, but his ability to play in the midfield is still lacking and he has not been able to play a new role. 1987-born Hao Junmin is an outstanding Chinese midfielder, who has represented the national team in many international matches, including the World Cup qualifiers, and is a strong midfielder. If Hao Junmin can help the U24 national soccer team as a veteran, it will greatly improve the strength of the midfield, and is expected to compete with the national team.
In the top 40 and top 12 matches of the World Cup qualifiers, Artemis was an absolute mainstay of the national team, with his footwork skills not losing to Japanese and South Korean players. With age, Artemis is difficult to return to the first line in the national team's rejuvenation process, but joining the Asian Games team before retiring may add to the team's strength. If Wu Lei and Artemis play a key role in the front and midfield, and Gao Tianyi continues to provide support in the back line, the national football team is expected to achieve excellent results in both defense and offense, adding more possibilities for winning the Asian Games.
