In the just-concluded round of the Chinese Super League, Shanghai Port defeated Changchun Yatai 5-2, showing their strong offensive firepower. Among them, Wu Lei scored two goals and contributed an assist, ranking first in the scorer list with 12 goals. However, another eye-catching focus is 36-year-old Yatai veteran Tan Long, who has maintained his consistent form this season and is second in the homegrown scorer list. Although Changchun Yatai is currently at the bottom of the Chinese Super League standings, Tan Long's performance has brought some light to the team.
Tan Long has started 10 of his 11 appearances this season and has scored four goals along with one assist. Such data is rare for a 36-year-old veteran. Although the outside world has questioned his age and national football performance, he still proved his value in the Chinese Super League. This also made him the focus of national team coach Ivankovic again.
According to the "Beijing Youth Daily", the national football team will gather in Shenyang on May 27 to prepare for the life-and-death match of the World Preliminary Round of 36 against Thailand at home on June 6. Head coach Ivankovic plans to visit Shenyang City this week to inspect the game venue and travel to Changchun to watch Yatai's home match against Guoan in the 12th round of the Chinese Super League. In the case of Wu Lei's suspension, Ackerson's very low league appearance rate, and Fernando's injury, Ivan has been committed to "finding guns" recently.
In this context, Fang Hao and Tan Long have become important targets of Ivan's trip to Changchun. Fang Hao, with his outstanding performance on the side of Guoan, and Tan Long, with his stable output in the center of Yatai, are very likely to enter the national football team under Ivan for the first time. If finally selected, it will be the first time that Tan Long has entered the national team list since Ivan became the coach of the national football team.
The national football coaching team is expected to draw a new squad of about 28 players after the 12th round of the Chinese Super League this weekend. For Tan Long, this is not only an affirmation of his outstanding performance this season, but also the greatest compliment to his perseverance in his career. Against the backdrop of Wu Lei's fiery state, Tan Long's tenacity and scoring ability also demonstrate the valuable value of the local strikers of the Chinese Super League. In the future, let's wait and see whether Tan Long can bring more contributions to the national football team under Ivan's tutelage. (Lao Qiu Super League Ball Review)