On January 3rd, Beijing time, the Chinese men's national football team announced its first training list for the new year. The naturalized player Hou Yongyong, who was highly anticipated, finally made his first selection. In addition, newcomers such as Maiwulang and Wumiti Jiang were also on the list, while national team captain Wu Lei and veteran Alan were left out of the squad. So what are the highlights of this national team list?
Highlight 1: 3 newcomers make their debut! 20-year-old twin stars could be a surprise
Hou Yongyong, Wumiti Jiang, and Maiwulang are all making their first appearance on the national team training list. Besides Hou Yongyong, who is 26 years old and in his prime, both Wumiti Jiang and Maiwulang were born in 2004. Maiwulang plays as an attacking midfielder, while Wumiti Jiang plays as a central defender. Both of them, along with Baihelamu, another Xinjiang player, possess a tenacious and positive playing style, and they dare to fight in matches. Perhaps they can also become a pleasant surprise for the national team in the future.
Highlight 2: Wu Lei, Jiang Guangtai, and Liu Dianzuo not selected for this training session
Compared to the last training list in 2024, Wu Lei, Jiang Guangtai, and Liu Dianzuo were not selected. Both Wu Lei and Jiang Guangtai missed this training session due to physical reasons. As for Liu Dianzuo, who has long served as the third goalkeeper, he has given way to Jian Tao and Han Jiaqi this time. This may also be one of Ivan's measures to promote the rejuvenation of the team.
Highlight 3: Beijing Guoan has 7 players as the mainstay! Super League champion Shanghai Port only has 2
In the latest national team list, as many as 7 players from Beijing Guoan have been selected (Li Lei, Wang Ziming, Zhang Yuning, Cao Yongjing, Lin Liangming, Yang Liyu, Han Jiaqi), which once again demonstrates that Beijing Guoan has indeed done an excellent job in cultivating local players in recent years. Shandong Taishan and Shanghai Shenhua each have 6 players, while the Super League champions Shanghai Port have only 2 players selected (Yan Junling and Wei Zhen).
Highlight 4: Continuing to rejuvenate! The average age of the national team list is 26.7 years old
Due to the addition of several newcomers and the absence of veterans such as Wu Lei and Alan, the national team list continues to rejuvenate, with an average age of 26.6875 years old. The oldest is Wang Dalei (35 years old), while the youngest are Wumiti Jiang and Maiwulang (20 years old). It must be said that Ivan's determination to rejuvenate the national team is still worthy of recognition and praise.