The national football team is about to usher in a new round of training camp, with only two days left before the official gathering, and everyone is eagerly awaiting it.
This training camp will be led by coach Ivankovic, who has rich experience and is sure to bring significant changes to the team.
The list of new squad recruits has been announced, with a total of 32 players selected, but some familiar faces have failed to make the cut.
In particular, Liu Dianzuo, Jiang Guangtai, and Wu Lei, who were once considered core players, their omission is like pouring salt on the fans' wounds, especially Liu Dianzuo, whose omission seems more like a signal for a lineup reform.
To be honest, Jiang Guangtai and Wu Lei were dropped due to injuries, which can be understood.
In competitive sports, injuries are always an inevitable enemy for athletes, but as long as they recover and regain their form, returning to the national team is not a big problem.
However, Liu Dianzuo's situation is different. He was excluded from the squad due to coach Ivankovic's promotion of a "youth strategy."
The core of this strategy is clearly to accelerate the renewal and replacement of the team, allowing more young players to showcase themselves on the international stage.
Although this approach has its rationality, it also makes the prospects of some veterans precarious.
Taking Liu Dianzuo as an example, he has always been the iron gate in front of the national team's goal, with very high stability, especially his experience is invaluable to the national team.
But Ivankovic's youthful concept seems to make these experienced players seem "outdated."
In this context, Liu Dianzuo's omission is more like a strategic move by Ivankovic to promote the development of the team. It must be said that such a choice, although in line with long-term planning, makes many people feel unwilling.
As for Xie Pengfei, the former "No. 10" core of the national team, he seems to be gradually distancing himself from the national team.
Looking back at last year's performance, Xie Pengfei performed quite outstandingly in the club, starting 14 times in 31 games, contributing 4 goals and 7 assists.
Such data, looking at the entire Chinese football circle, many players in the same position perform worse than him.
In theory, Xie Pengfei is fully capable of continuing to serve the national team, but reality is disappointing.
In last September's two 18-strong matches, Xie Pengfei did not even get a minute of playing time, and by October, he was directly excluded from the 23-man squad.
At that time, he could only watch his teammates fight from the sidelines, while he could only watch the national team's campaign on television.
Looking at this year's training camp list again, Xie Pengfei has been forgotten again, without even the opportunity to train.
Compared to the previous coach Yangkovic's heavy use of Xie Pengfei, Ivankovic apparently has little interest in him.
No matter how you look at it, Xie Pengfei's plight is indeed regrettable.
In the eyes of fans, he used to be the "soul" of the national team's midfield, but now he seems to be abandoned outside the door, and this sense of disparity is indeed heart-wrenching.
Many people began to speculate on Ivankovic's selection of players.
The current national team is experiencing a transition from "veterans" to "young blood."
Many veterans who were originally the main force of the team are gradually being neglected, replaced by the rise of more young players.
From a broader perspective, this change is inevitable because the development rhythm of world football requires each team to maintain vitality, and the most direct source of this vitality is the continuous emergence of young players.
Problems arise accordingly.
Young players often lack experience in major competitions and may feel nervous when facing the pressure of international events.
At this time, experienced veterans can often play a key role.
For example, although Xie Pengfei is not young, his accumulated match experience in the national team is still unmatched by other young players.
In this way, will the "youth strategy" promoted by Ivankovic really bring immediate results? Or will it lack the stability and decision-making power of some veterans at critical moments? This is a question worth considering.
Indeed, the development of a team is not just about changing the lineup. How to balance youth and experience, and how to integrate veterans with newcomers, is also a challenge that all coaches must face.
Whether Ivankovic insists on his "youth strategy" or not, the ultimate goal is to improve overall strength and win games to prove that all these decisions are correct.
From now on, we can only wait and see if this training camp can bring new vitality to the national team under Ivankovic's command.
And for players like Xie Pengfei, whether they will be forgotten or experience a resurgence in the future, perhaps only time can give the answer.