Recently, the highly anticipated national football team has started its first training session of the new year in the warm and pleasant city of Haikou. This training session sees head coach Ivanković taking a hands-on approach, personally guiding each training content. The focus of the training is not only on enhancing the players' physical fitness to ensure they have abundant energy and endurance on the field but also on a crucial task: conducting a comprehensive and in-depth review of last year's 18-team competition to identify problems and learn from experiences in order to formulate more targeted and effective strategies for the upcoming matches against Saudi Arabia and Australia in March.
Originally, the national team planned to call up 32 players for this training session; however, due to the absence of naturalized player Fernandinho, the number of training players became 31. Regarding this change, head coach Ivanković clearly responded that it did not have a substantial impact on the team's training arrangements. After all, the team's overall strategy and training plan are based on the team's overall strength and tactical needs, and the absence of individual players will not disrupt the overall rhythm and deployment.
During this national team training, naturalized player Hou Yongyong, who was selected for the national team for the first time, unsurprisingly became the focus of media and fans' attention. Head coach Ivanković gave him special attention. Hou Yongyong's performance in the Norwegian domestic league last season was astonishing; he scored 19 goals and contributed 8 assists. With such outstanding performances, he won the honors of the league's top scorer and best player. His excellent performance just filled the vacancy left by Fernandinho's absence, injecting new vitality and competitiveness into the team.
On the fifth day of the national team's training, domestic media revealed an important message that Ivanković intended to promote Hou Yongyong to the forward position. This change is significant, indicating that Hou Yongyong has likely secured a spot on the 18-team competition list for March. Similarly, defender Wu Shaocong, who also plays in Europe, is highly regarded by Ivanković for his outstanding abilities and potential.
However, not all players are as fortunate. First, goalkeeper Jian Tao, although selected for the national team for the first time, reflecting Ivanković's determination to promote youth, faces fierce competition from experienced and strong goalkeepers such as Yan Junling, Wang Dalei, and Han Jiaqi. It is extremely difficult for Jian Tao to get playing opportunities. Perhaps, he can only hope for next year, through continuous efforts and growth, to have the opportunity to represent the national team and showcase his skills on the field.
Furthermore, after Wu Shaocong was given importance, Han Pengfei, who had no chance to play, became increasingly awkward in the national team, seeming dispensable, thus making him a probable omission from the 18-team competition list in March. Moreover, Cheng Jin and Wu Mitijiang, who were selected for the national team for the first time, may be notified to leave the team soon due to their unsatisfactory performance during training or not fitting well with the team's tactical system.
According to the established plan, the national team will end this training session on January 18. The next training session will take place in mid-March, at which time the national team will challenge Saudi Arabia away on March 20 and then host Australia on March 25. These two matches are undoubtedly huge challenges for the national team and also important opportunities to prove their strength and strive for better results.