On August 19, according to the Beijing Youth Daily, the Chinese men’s national football team plans to reconvene in Dalian City on August 23 to prepare for the first two rounds of the 18-team tournament in September. The coaching staff is expected to finalize the list of 27 or 28 players for training in Dalian within the next couple of days. Defensive midfielders Wang Haijian and Wei Zhen from Shanghai teams are expected to join the national team training squad as newcomers.
The report states that although young players like Bai Helamu and Xie Weneng performed well in the final two matches of the 36-team tournament, the national team coaching staff did not find many pleasant surprises during their league observations. Defensive midfielders Wang Haijian and Wei Zhen from Shanghai teams are expected to join the national team training squad as newcomers. Most of the players participating in this training session, which will also cover the first two rounds of the 18-team tournament, were selected by Ivan in the last four rounds of the 36-team tournament.
According to the plan, the national team coaching staff will officially finalize the list of players participating in the new training session earlier this week, with a specific number of 27 or 28 players (depending on injury situations).
It is understood that before this, several young newcomers, including Tao Qianglong, Wu Mitijiang, Abudu Rushuli, Han Jiaqi, Hu Hetao, and Wang Haijian, had already made it into the initial 52-player roster for the 18-team tournament. However, there are not many newcomers who have consistently performed well; some players returned to the bench after occasionally impressive performances, so the coaching staff is cautious about selecting them. Additionally, defender Wu Mitijiang, who stood out this season with the Sanzhen team, unfortunately suffered a skull fracture in a Chinese Super League match last weekend and underwent emergency surgery post-match, making it impossible for him to join the national team.
Moreover, due to the relatively abundant choices for attackers and defenders, the national team may focus on reinforcing the midfield, especially the defensive midfield position, in this training session. Wang Haijian and Wei Zhen from the Shenhua and Haigang teams respectively, could join the national team as newcomers under Ivan’s leadership. In the “Shanghai Derby,” although Wang Haijian only came on as a substitute in the 52nd minute, his running ability and forward-advancing awareness were notable. Wei Zhen has been selected for the national team multiple times before Ivan took over the team. With his outstanding physical condition and versatility in playing defensive midfielder and central defender, he can enhance the height of the team’s midfield defense and is also adept at running up and down the field.
Currently, the majority of the players participating in the new training session of the national team are familiar faces who have participated in previous training sessions or the final four rounds of the 36-team tournament this year. Goalkeeper selections are particularly noteworthy. Although young goalkeepers like Jian Tao and Han Jiaqi have performed heroically in the league, the three goalkeepers over 30 years old – Wang Dalei, Yan Junling, and Liu Dianzuo – have maintained overall good form and possess more international match experience than the other young goalkeepers, so the coaching staff is unlikely to adjust the goalkeeper lineup. If the team selects four goalkeepers, young goalkeeper Bao Yaxiong from Shenhua could be a useful addition. After recovering from an injury, Hu Hetao might be called up by the U21 national team of the 2003 age group first.
It is understood that the main reference for the Ivan coaching team’s selection is still the players’ performance in their clubs. Therefore, some players who have previously joined the team will be excluded from this training session due to overlapping positions and low league appearance rates. For example, Fang Hao, who was favored by both former national team coaches Jankovic and Ivkovic, is likely to be excluded because he hasn’t played for Guoan in the past two months. Some older players with high expectations have also been excluded due to their inability to meet mobility standards.
Since the first two rounds of the 18-team tournament will face strong Asian teams like Japan and Saudi Arabia, strategically speaking, the national team should prioritize defense in these two matches. Therefore, relying on players with international match experience aligns with the ‘stability’ approach. Of course, young players like Bai Helamu and Xie Weneng, who have experienced the ‘do-or-die’ matches of the 36-team tournament, have injected vitality into the team. The Chinese team that appears in the 18-team tournament will still possess considerable attacking power.