In the round of 36 of the World Cup qualifiers between the United States, Canada and Mexico, after the Chinese men's football team drew with Singapore away, the captain of the national football team said in an interview with the media after the game: "It's time to quit the national team." After this remark broke out, it caused heated discussions among all parties, and various remarks filled various media platforms in the past two days. So much so that Zhang Linpeng's wife said "scold if you want" on her social media, but you can imagine how much pressure Zhang Linpeng herself has to bear in the past two days.
But just today, the matter has been reversed, Zhang Linpeng has made it clear that he has temporarily dismissed the idea of quitting the national team and will play in the second leg against the Singapore team in Tianjin next week. In fact, after he made the remarks of "quitting the national team", both the players and the coach of the national football team expressed their full understanding of the veteran national football player. Zhang Linpeng made such a statement at the time not because he couldn't bear the pressure, but because he hoped that as a veteran player, he could lead by example and take responsibility for the team's poor recent results.
Zhang Linpeng, as a nearly 35-year-old international player, has been playing for national teams at all levels for 16 years since 2008 in the national youth team, the national Olympic team and then the national team. He will definitely do his best to do his best for Chinese football on the field. As for the statement made in Singapore, the mood has calmed down in the past two days of precipitation and communication with the national football team.
Today, Zhang Linpeng can make the decision to continue to play for the national football team, and it must be the result of his own careful consideration, in the national football team's home game against Singapore on the 26th of this month, whether Zhang Linpeng is playing or sitting on the bench, Zhang Linpeng will appear as a Chinese men's football player at the "Water Drop" stadium in Tianjin.
It is believed that the Chinese men's football team will also fully prepare for the game against Singapore in the next few days, strive to score all three points at home, and work hard to advance to the next stage of the game.