On April 20, Beijing time, the U23 Asian Cup is in full swing in Doha, Qatar. However, it is regrettable that the Chinese Olympic team faced two top Asian teams from Japan and South Korea, and ended in defeat as expected before the game. In the final analysis, the younger generation of Chinese players is also inferior to others, and at the same time, they are really lackluster in terms of technique and tactics. This also once again confirms the backwardness of Chinese football, and the gap between the younger generation of players and the same age group in Japan and South Korea is also visible to the naked eye.
Then after the official start of the U23 Asian Cup, the national football coach Ivankovic also announced a major decision. While on vacation in Croatia, he decided to rush to Doha to watch the Chinese Olympic team's matches and check whether there are any players in the national Olympic team who are suitable for the needs of the national team.
Judging from the performance of the Chinese Olympic team in the two games, Ivan still has some gains. Although the national Olympic team lost in the face of Japan and South Korea, and did not score a goal. But the performance of some players still made Ivan's eyes shine. For example, the performance of Bai Helamu, Tao Qianglong, Jia Feifei, Xie Wenneng and others can completely succeed Wu Lei, Tan Long, Wu Xi and other national team veterans. Moreover, young players are more energetic, and replenishing fresh blood to the national team is one of the main tasks of Ivankovic after taking office.
The main crux of the national team's unsatisfactory performance in the Asian Cup and the World Preliminary Tournament is that the national team is too old. The lack of aggressiveness among the veteran players and the fact that they always have to make mistakes in handling key balls also led to some low-level mistakes that ultimately ruined the team's efforts.
As the do-or-die match with Thailand in June drew closer, Wu Lei, the core of the attack, was suspended for accumulating two yellow cards. This also makes the problem of scoring for the national football team very serious. After all, Wu Lei's excellent sense of smell in front of the door is irreplaceable. However, recently, with the return to the Chinese Super League, Alan has gradually recovered his form and scored in the league. As the former top scorer in the Europa League, Alan can return to his former best form in time, and he will be expected to be recalled to the national team by Ivan and become the perfect replacement for Wu Lei.
Recently, the Chinese Football Association has also made arrangements. The Chinese coaching staff, led by Zheng Zhi, went to Germany for a three-week coach training course. The Chinese Football Association made such an arrangement at such an important time, and Zheng Zhi, as the core figure of the Chinese coaching staff, also understood that the Football Association hoped to let Ivan's coaching team fully take over the national team. The Chinese coaching staff will completely withdraw from the important decision-making power of the national football team.