Among the many tactical puzzles, the first doubt is the failure to use Shanghai Shenhua's experienced sidewalk hunter Yu Hanchao. At the age of 37, Hanchao has not aged well, and his dribbling, shooting, breakthroughs and defense have injected a constant stream of energy into the front line. Last season, he scored 9 goals, right behind the team's top scorer, Malelai. Especially in the crucial game of the AFC Cup final, his goal became the turning point for Shenhua to win the championship. More crucially, despite his age, Hanchao's stamina and speed still surpasses that of many young players. "If there is an old man in the family, there is a treasure in the family", if Ivankovic can include Hanchao in the national team squad, it will undoubtedly inject new vitality into the front field of our country.
Another puzzling decision was to discard Zhejiang's midfield soul Li Tixiang. Despite being in the twilight of his career at the age of 34, Li Tixiang's fitness and skills are still outstanding, and his midfield dominance is commendable. He can play both as a defensive back who intercepts and steals, and as a front man who organizes the attack. Currently, our national team is in dire need of such a midfield warrior, and Li Tixiang has the right characteristics of both offense and defense. Despite the call-up of Li Yuanyi, Li Tixiang's strength and experience are clearly superior. However, it is puzzling that Ivankovic still ignores Li Tixiang, which is the same as Jankovic's strategy.
With the preliminaries approaching, the national team's preparation list has been largely finalized. Perhaps Ivankovic has his own considerations. After all, no adjustment is easy. I sincerely hope that Ivankovic will lead a strong team that will satisfy the fans.
