In September 2023, the Asian Games finally kicked off, and compared to the original plan, the event was delayed by a year, which led to a subtle change in the age structure of the participating teams, and on the soccer field, the one-year difference made this year's tournament look especially different. In light of this, our men's soccer team chose to participate in the U24 national soccer team, which has gone through a long preparation for the tournament, yet there have been frequent changes in the team.
As originally planned, the U24 national soccer team was to be coached by Aleksandar Stefanovic, a foreign coach who has been leading the team's preparations for over a year. However, the 2023 national football team underwent a coaching change and Aleksandar Jankovic was appointed as the coach of the national football team, which brought a huge change to the U24 national football team. Jankovic recommended Djurdjevic to replace himself and the latter successfully took over the team.
Now, in June 2023, the U24 national soccer team is in the final stage of preparation. Djurdjevic has led the team in a high-level friendly match and is scheduled to face off against South Korea U24 on June 15th and 19th. He hopes to use these two matches to strengthen the squad and adapt to the rhythm of the Asian Games in advance. The new lineup for the U24 national soccer team was officially unveiled against South Korea, with the official 26-player roster led by Dai Weijun and Wu Shaochong, who have not been involved in the tournament for the past six months.
Dai Weijun, a core player of the national soccer team, is unique among active international players for his excellent midfield organization and creativity. Even though he has failed to score recently, he is still included in the list as the U24 national soccer team sees him as the centerpiece of their tactics. Against strong teams such as South Korea and Japan soccer, Dai Weijun is one of the few players who can break through the opponent's defense to advance the ball. Djurdjevic dropped homegrown Golden Boot scorer Zhang Yuning of the Chinese Super League, national soccer team captain Wu Xi and Zhang Linlian when he tweaked his lineup. Zhang Yuning's form has slipped due to frequent injuries; Wu Xi has also suffered injuries; and Zhang Linlian may no longer be fit due to his age.
23-year-old center back Wu Shaocong is the only player currently playing in Europe's top leagues. His performance at Istanbul Basaksehir was noteworthy. As a representative of Chinese players staying in China, his addition further strengthens the defense of the U24 national soccer team. The team is well organized at the back, so on the offensive end, they have opted for overage players, including Gao Tianyi, Tan Long and Barton.
The 26-member U24 national soccer team is as follows: Tao Qianglong, Liu Zhuyun, Abraham Khalik, Peng Peng, Niu Ziyi, Gao Tianyi, Han Jiaqi, Fang Hao, Barton, Li Yongjia, Wen Junior, Zhu Chenjie, Jiang Shenglong, Liu Ruowanv, Wang Haijian, Zhang Wei, Xu Haoyang, He Yupeng, Huang Jiahui, Wang Zhen'ao, Tan Long, Sun Qinhan, Ye Lijiang Shnar, Dai Weijun, Huang Zihao, and Wu Shaocong.
