In the first two rounds of the Asian round of 18 of the World Preliminary Championship, the national football team first lost 0:7 to Japan, and then lost to Saudi Arabia 1:2 in the second round, suffering two consecutive defeats in the opening game. In this way, after the first two rounds of the group stage, the national football team accumulated 0 points in two games, conceded 9 goals, and became the worst team in Group C.
The start of the two consecutive defeats not only reduced the national football team to the vice president of the group, but also pushed the head coach Ivankovic to the edge of the class, and the fans shouted for him to leave the class. Under such a predicament, Ivankovic's coaching strategy and employment choice have become the focus of criticism and complaints from the outside world. Especially in the use of naturalized players, Ivan only recruited Jiang Guangtai, Alain, and Fernando, and gave up a number of naturalized players, including Ackerson, Li Ke, and Hou Yongyong, which aroused doubts from the outside world. In particular, the abandonment of Hou Yongyong, a player in Europe who is in hot form, is even more difficult to understand.
Hou Yongyong is the first naturalized player in the history of Chinese football, and this Norway-Chinese player who once played for Beijing Guoan has carried the expectations of countless people since his naturalization. However, due to various factors such as injuries and competitive pressure, he was unable to fully show his strength during his three years at Beijing Guoan, with a rather thin record of 25 appearances, and he failed to get a chance to be called up to the national team.
In 2023, Hou Yongyong chose to leave Guoan and return to Norway, joining the domestic second-tier team Lanheim. This choice, which seemed to be a step backwards in his career, unexpectedly became a turning point in his career. In Lanheim, Hou Yongyong seems to have found the best version of himself. Last season, he failed to become the absolute core of the team, but he was already showing his edge. After entering the 2024 season, Hou Yongyong ushered in a big explosion in his career. He started all 22 league games, playing an average of 85 minutes per game, contributing 13 goals and four assists, leading the team not only in all statistics, but also in the entire Norway First Division scorer list.
It is worth mentioning that in the 22nd round of the Norway First Division this morning, Hou Yongyong ushered in another outbreak, showing good form, and in just 3 minutes of the opening game, he completed a lightning goal, stunning the whole game, and finally led the team to a 2-0 victory. From the perspective of the position on the field, Hou Yongyong is an attacking midfielder, who can score goals and assist, which is exactly the all-round frontcourt warrior that the national team needs at present.
In the current midfield configuration of the national football team, although there is no shortage of powerful players, the creativity and efficiency of the offensive end still need to be improved. If Hou Yongyong can help the national football team, he can undoubtedly inject a new vitality into the team and improve the team's offensive ability. In this way, there is still hope for the national football team to qualify, otherwise, if there are good players like this, self-destruction of martial arts is a dead end.
In the upcoming World Preliminary Tournament in October, the national football team will play Australia and Indonesia respectively, and these two matches are crucial for the national football team, not only about the qualification situation, but also about the team's confidence and morale. If Hou Yongyong can get Ivan's call-up, the frontcourt combat effectiveness index of the national football team will definitely be greatly improved. It is expected that Ivankovic can use talents in an eclectic manner and recruit Hou Yongyong into his command as soon as possible.