Many soccer fans have been quite vocal about the recent state of our country's soccer. In the eight-team match of the Asian Games, our team was unfortunately overwhelmed by South Korea and lost 0-2. Although the national Olympic team narrowly defeated India before the final match, the performance of the national soccer team still disappointed many fans. Jankovic's lineup choice sparked controversy as the 30-somethings drew 1-1 with Malaysia at home, only to lose 0-1 in front of Syria. The national soccer team's lackluster running game was unbearable for many fans, who even questioned Jankovic's selection.
Nevertheless, there are still some fans who choose to understand Jankovic and believe that his failure to recruit young players is due to the fact that the Olympic team and the Asian Games have already drafted a lot of young talent. With the Olympic and Asian Games games behind him, Jankovic has no excuses.
The national football team recently announced the list of warm-up matches in October, in which newcomers are emerging, but the team is still dominated by veterans. The goalkeeper position is of great concern, Yan Junling's performance is not satisfactory, while the new goalkeeper is not selected. The current goalkeeper lineup includes Yan Junling, Wang Dalei and Liu Dengzheng, all of whom are over 30 years old.
However, with the latest news showing that Liu Dianzuo is injured and unable to train with the national soccer team, the Jankovic team has had to look for a new replacement. According to Beijing Youth Daily, the replacement for the goalkeeper has been confirmed and it is Ma Zhen of Shanghai Shenhua. This is also the first time that Ma Zhen has been selected for the national soccer team, bringing the number of newcomers to five.
Nonetheless, some fans have questioned Ma Zhen's choice. Ma Zhen's outstanding performance at Shenhua had placed the team firmly in the top three of the Chinese Super League, but since May 24, Ma Zhen has been suspended for five matches and fined 50,000 yuan by the Disciplinary Committee of the Chinese Football Association after receiving a red card for punching his hand in the face. During this period, Shenhua used Bao Yaxiong instead of Ma Zhen, and it can be said that Ma Zhen has been reduced to a substitute.
So, is it true that the National Football League didn't follow the Shenhua game? Is it not aware of Ma Zhen's recent form? In other words, the national soccer team is too far behind in the information they have on their selections, which is worrisome.
Nonetheless, we still expect newcomers to be selected, especially in the goalkeeper position, which hasn't seen a newcomer for years. Congratulations to Ma Zhen for his selection and I hope he plays as well in the national team as he did in Shenhua.
What are your thoughts on Ma Zhen's journey to the national team? Do you think he will be able to perform well against Vietnam and Uzbekistan?
