In a mini-motorcycle race against Thailand, Ivankovic's good fortune lies not only in the performance of the vehicle, but also in the hot form of his player Alan. Alan scored three goals and two assists in two consecutive games. His all-round performance not only filled the gap left by Wu Lei's suspension, but also showed the tacit understanding between his tactical philosophy and that of coach Ivankovic.
Ivankovic's tactical style mirrors Hisashi Kurosaki's, but the midfield support of the weak Qingdao West Coast side is out of reach. Meanwhile, a significant rotation in the midfield showed the importance he places on offense. Wu Lei's absence has left the national football team's forward line empty, while Ivankovic kept a close eye on the form of Wei Shihao, Ekson and Zhang Yuning by observing the match between Chengdu Rongcheng and Beijing Guoan.
However, Zhang Yuning's re-injury disrupted the deployment of Plan A, while the slump of Aixon in Plan B forced him to turn to Byeloram and Xie Weijun. Homegrown players' space in the traditional powerhouses is increasingly limited, which makes Ivankovic dare to use newcomers in an unconventional way. The additions of Huang Zhengyu and Xu Haoyang have been a bright spot in the midfield, with one specializing in defense and the other in offense, Ivankovic's choices are full of ambition.
In the match against Singapore, the national football team will continue the lineup against Singapore and continue to focus on offense. In the fierce competition, Chinese soccer is standing on the top of Mount Huashan where it is bound to win.
Zhang Linmiao's exit marks the official start of the rejuvenation of the national football team. He publicly stated that he was ready to quit the national team after his blunder in the Singapore match, and his name does not appear in the latest list, meaning that he has faded out of the national football team. Han Pengfei, the Golden Gate Tigers center back, has become the new choice for Ivankovic.
From Zhang Linmiao to Tan Long, the metabolism of the national team is quietly underway with the departure of veterans and the addition of newcomers. While Jankovic's conservative strategy at the Asian Games stemmed from an over-reliance on journeyman talent, Ivankovic's disdain for seaport internationals has now become a ray of hope for the new national football team to break through the cocoon and become a butterfly.
The life-and-death choice of dying with a bang or living in a lousy way was once again on the table, and Ivankovic chose to challenge the minority.
