The Chinese men's soccer team is in a new chapter as Jankovic has stepped down and Ivankovic has taken over the reins. It will be some time before he takes the helm, as he is now busy with visa matters.
With the preliminaries looming, Ivankovic is in dire need of assembling a new lineup. Given the brain drain in domestic soccer and the limited number of spots to be selected for the national team, the new national team may have players from the Jankovic era removed or included.
In other words, a number of underperforming international players will be eliminated and homegrown players that Jankovic had overlooked but highly praised will be brought in. In an effort to refresh the badly aging national team squad, mid-career players are expected to become favorites of Ivanovic. Here are three mid-career players who are clamoring to be the most likely to be included in the new national team lineup.
First up is Shandong Luneng's new signing Gao Junyi, a 28-year-old footballer and all-round defender who can play as a center back and wing back. He has excelled at both Evergrande and San Zhen. In the AFC Champions League, he also scored a key goal for Luneng. His individual strength is outstanding among players of his age. Despite being a regular member of the national team, former head coach Jankovic did not favor him and left him out of the Asian Cup.
In the second place is Henan player Huang Zichang. The striker, young and promising, made his mark in the Chinese Super League in the 2018 season, contributing five goals and one assist in 22 games for Suning. At one point, he was touted as a future star of the national soccer team. However, injuries have kept Huang Zichang quiet in the Chinese Super League for many years, until the last two seasons to regain their form. Data show that he played 60 games for Henan, contributing 13 goals and 11 assists, offensive efficiency is staggering.
The third is Zhong Yihao, also from Henan. 27-year-old Zhong Yihao is a versatile midfielder who can play in front of the ball, in the midfield and at the back. In Henan, he is a fish out of water, and his organizational and scheduling skills are constantly improving. In two seasons, he played 60 matches and contributed 10 goals and 7 assists, showing superb offensive attributes. Unfortunately, he was also neglected by Jankovic. Now that Ivankovic has taken over the national soccer team, he should be included in the key training objects.
Gao Zhunyi, Huang Zichang and Zhong Yihao are all mid-generation players in the Chinese Super League with a lot of physical strength and energy. They represent the future of Chinese soccer. At a time when the national team is in dire need of renewal, they deserve to be reused and become the backbone of the national team. Therefore, these three brave mid-generation players deserve to be called up by Ivankovic to the national team's preseason squad.
