The 2022 East Asian Cup, a much-anticipated soccer feast, will kick off from July 19 to 27 in Japan. The Chinese Football Association (CFA) is sending a team of U23 internationals as the backbone of the team, and absorbed some overage players, a move that immediately attracted widespread attention from the Korean media. Korean media expressed pessimism about the team's prospects for the East Asian Cup.
Korean media analysis points out that up to 20 of the 24-member roster of this Chinese team lacks practical experience in international A-level matches, and the team is headed by none other than Aleksandar Jankovic, the head coach of the U-23 national team.
According to the FA, on top of the U-23 national team, China made up the roster for this East Asian Cup by bringing in two so-called overage players, Tan Long and Jiang Guangtai. It is worth noting that apart from Tan Long, Jiang Guangtai, Dai Weijun and Zhu Chenjie, none of the remaining 20 players have achieved an appearance record in international A-level matches. Wu Xi, Zhang Linpeng and Zhang Yuning, who were scheduled to participate as overage players, also withdrew from the tournament due to injuries.
It is worth mentioning that Jankovic made the leap from head coach of the U-23 national team to head coach of the Chinese team this time around, which undoubtedly reflects the CFA's attitude towards the East Asian Cup. Despite the fact that the East Asian Cup is not an official tournament organized by FIFA, it is still recognized as an A-level tournament, and from the point of view of the other participating countries, the arrangement of the Chinese team's lineup looks a bit unbelievable.
In the face of skepticism, the CFA responded that despite the postponement of the Hangzhou Asian Games, they have decided to maintain their original plan to compete with a U-23 national team. Meanwhile, the Chinese women's soccer team, which has yet to win the East Asian Cup, will send an adult national team to compete as originally planned.
