The Chinese Football Association (CFA) has unveiled the new training squad for the men's national soccer team, with a total of 29 players qualifying for selection. According to Sports Weekly reporter Ma Dexing, the play of Brazilian naturalized players Alan, Ekson and Fernando will have a crucial impact on the future direction of the Chinese men's football team.
Ivan Kovic, who took over as head coach of the national soccer team after the Asian Cup came to an end, kicked off the first phase of the buildup after the Chinese Super League in March and took part in the group stage of the 36-team World Qualifying Tournament against Singapore. Given the initial start of the domestic league, the players have not yet adjusted to the best state, coupled with the fact that Ivan is a new official, the current situation of Chinese soccer is not yet clear. This time, Ivan planned the second phase of the assembly, and revealed a clear thinking and hiring strategy in the selection of players. A notable example is that, although the key battles faced in June will have a direct impact on whether or not the Chinese team will be among the 36 strong, but also related to the future of Ivan and his coaching staff, but this time the announcement of the 29-member list, compared with the previous 31-member list, there are 9 people have been changed.
The selection of many new players in the face of such a major tournament undoubtedly reflects Ivan's boldness and vigor. Especially in the list of Wu Lei and Li Yuanyi who missed the Thailand game due to yellow card, there are 7 debutant internationals in the 27-man squad. This selection seems to challenge those who insist that "experience is paramount".
However, this selection strategy may hint at the importance Ivan's team attaches to the Chinese Super League, both in terms of on-site spectating and video analysis, which is well thought out and based on Ivan's tactical philosophy of selecting players. Looking at the list, Ivan is likely to stick to the 442 formation and diamond midfield layout for the upcoming June matches, with perhaps a few tweaks to the details.
It should be emphasized that the national team roster underwent a massive bloodletting with seven new faces joining the team, but this is not the same as the team achieving rejuvenation. For example, the inclusion of Byhramu could be linked to Ivan's observation of the Qatar Olympic qualifiers, where he performed well against the Korean and Japanese powerhouses but failed to capitalize on his goal-scoring chances. The 2003-born player will be the youngest member of the national team and will benefit his future development.
Bao Yaxiong, Huang Zhengyu, Xie Weijun and other players belong to the Tokyo Olympics age 97 age group, while Yang Zexiang, Han Pengfei and so on have already stepped into their prime, Alan is even returned to the team. This reflects the domestic league's reliance on veterans, while young players have fewer opportunities, the national team faces challenges in selecting new players.
In the latest released training list, the striker position is notable. Wu Lei is suspended for a yellow card and will not be available for the Thailand game. The list shows that the national football team may continue to rely on three Brazilian naturalized players. The performance of these three "foreign aid" will determine the fate of the national team.
Despite the FA announcing a 29-man squad, which includes six strikers, Wu Lei is unavailable. Ivan will select the remaining five strikers. Fans regret that Wu Lei is currently leading the Chinese Super League's top scorer list with 14 goals. Xie Weijun and Baiheilamun have not scored a goal this season, leaving the Brazilian naturalized player as the only hope.
Unfortunately, Ackerson's form is a concern as he was substituted after only half a game on his debut in the last round of matches. Fernando is out of action due to injury and it is still uncertain whether he can come back in the last match. Although Alan has performed well in the last two rounds of league matches, it is uncertain whether he will be able to last the whole match. Therefore, whether the national football team will rely on the three Brazilian naturalized players in the future battle between China and Thailand is still a question mark.
