Lippi fielded such a new line-up in this game, which exceeded everyone's expectations, including the players themselves.

In the previous games, Mai Tijiang, He Chao, Liu Yiming and others, who had not even been selected for the eighteen-man squad, learned that they would start this game, and they couldn't believe their ears, and thought that someone was joking with them!

Therefore, when they followed Zhang Linpeng, the captain of the Dragon Country team in this game, and walked out of the players' tunnel under the leadership of the referee team, and walked onto the turf of the Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi, they were all more excited, and their mood was difficult to calm down for a long time.

During the national anthem ceremony, several players couldn't hold back their excitement and shed tears on the spot.

Especially Fan Xiaodong, he can be said to be a late bloomer among the players of the Dragon Kingdom, and because of the position on the field, his national team journey is more bumpy than Xiao Zhi, Pu Cheng and others.

Fan Xiaodong, who was born in 87, did not receive the first call from the Dragon Country team until the year before last, that is, in 2017, when he was thirty years old, wearing a national uniform.

And because in the first half of last season, the performance was not so eye-catching, so he missed the opportunity to participate in last year's World Cup in Russia with the team, and was surpassed by Xiao Zhi, Pu Cheng and others.

However, in the second half of last season, Fan Xiaodong broke out in an all-round way, with an eye-catching performance, and after the end of the season, he was called up by the Dragon Country team again, and performed well in the training camp before the start of this Asian Cup, and in several warm-up games, and was finally selected into the 23-member squad of the Dragon Country Team for the Asian Cup.

Although Fan Xiaodong did not get the opportunity to play in the first few games, he did not relax his requirements, and was serious and diligent in every training, trying to do his best, always ready, and in the best condition when the team needed it.

His attitude, Lippi has always seen in his eyes, so this game will give him the opportunity to start for the Dragon Team, making him the only veteran over 30 years old in the new lineup of the Dragon Team.

After the end of this Asian Cup, Zheng Zhi in 81, Feng Xiaoting, Li Xuepeng and others in 85 will definitely withdraw from the main lineup of the Dragon Country team one after another, and Yu Hanchao and Fan Xiaodong in 87 will be able to play for another two years if their competitive condition is maintained well, but it is still unknown whether they can catch up with the 2022 World Cup.

Therefore, for Fan Xiaodong, this Asian Cup is also very likely to become the last major tournament he can participate in, although his national team career is not long, but he also wants to use a championship trophy to draw a successful end to it!

is also selected for the 23rd list, whether it can be shortlisted for the 18-man squad for each game is completely different; Being shortlisted for the 18-man squad, whether you can have the opportunity to play is also completely different; In the last game, whether it was a starter or a substitute, there was also a difference.

Fan Xiaodong is okay, he was selected into the eighteen-man list before, Maitijiang, Liu Yiming, and He Chao, but they suddenly achieved a triple jump, and from outside the eighteen-man squad, they became the starters of this game, and their excitement is understandable.

Lippi did not hand over the captain's armband to Shen Feng, the team's offensive core, in accordance with the current practice in international football, but let Zhang Linpeng serve as the captain of the Dragon Country team in this game.

Zhang Linpeng, who was born in 89, is very hopeful of catching up with the next World Cup in the current situation, and by 2022, he will only be 33 years old, which is the most experienced stage in the position of defender - just like Feng Xiaoting and Li Xuepeng in last year's World Cup in Russia.

In the next World Cup cycle, it is a good choice for him to be the captain of the Dragon Country team.

Shen Feng himself did not have a strong desire to be the captain of the Dragon Country team, not that he couldn't afford this responsibility.

For him, whether he has the name of captain or not, he will give 100% in the game.

Shen Feng just thinks that he doesn't have the temperament of a leader and a big brother like Zheng Zhi, he is passionate and energetic on the court and in the game, but off the court and in private, although he can't be said to be a stuffy gourd, his personality is not much extroverted.

The captain of a team, in addition to having excellent individual ability and being able to help the team in the game, also requires him to be able to unite the players, increase the cohesion of the team, and do a good job of coordination between players and coaches and between players.

Shen Feng, who is only twenty-one years old now, still has a lot to learn in terms of human sophistication.

Of course, he could also just be a symbolic captain, but that didn't mean anything to him, so when the leaders of the Football Association and Lippi asked for his opinion, he directly rejected the proposal to take over as the captain of the Dragon Country team now.

Just like now, as the captain, Zhang Linpeng needs to help mediate the nervousness and excitement of Fan Xiaodong, Mai Tijiang, He Chao and others, and try to avoid fluctuating emotions affecting the upcoming game.

Shen Feng can be himself easily, at most, he can communicate a few words with Liu Yiming, who is usually more chatty, and help him adapt to the atmosphere of the arena.

Before the official start of the game, the captain on the field is the busiest person in the team, not only to fully grasp the situation of his teammates, but also to go to the referee team in accordance with the rules, and the opponent's captain to carry out the edge picking ceremony, after the edge picking ceremony, but also to come back to organize teammates to gather in a group to do the final mobilization and cheering before the game.

This whole process seems to be nothing, but in fact there are many doorways and tricks, and not just anyone can do it perfectly.

Another reason why Lippi did not insist on letting Shen Feng take over as the captain of the Dragon Country team is that he, who is well versed in the inside of Dragon Country football, knows very well that the burden on Shen Feng's shoulders is now enough and heavy enough, and as a qualified head coach, he should try his best to relieve pressure on him at this time, instead of continuing to increase the burden on him.

Although Shen Feng showed a good ability to resist pressure, he was still relatively young, and he still had a long way to go before he was truly mature.

Seedlings are the most undesirable!

Although Lippi is Italian, he has been in contact with Dragon Country football for seven years since he became the head coach of the Evergrande team, which accounts for one-tenth of his current life, which makes him have sincere feelings for Dragon Country Football and sincerely hopes that Dragon Country Football can get better and better.

Shen Feng bears the hope of the rise of Dragon Country Football, and whether he can grow up smoothly will have a direct and even fundamental impact on the development of Dragon Country Football in the next ten or twenty years.