Zhang Yuning and Yang Liyu scored in the away win over Cangzhou team
Guoan’s New Front gets a “good start”
Beijing Evening News Cangzhou Correspondent Wang Yang
Yesterday afternoon, in the first round of the 2024 Chinese Super League, the Beijing Guoan team defeated the Cangzhou Lions 2-0 in the away game with the first and second half goals of Zhang Yuning and Yang Liyu, getting a “good start” to the season. Coach Suarez affirmed the team’s performance after the game. He believed that it was very important to win the first round of the season and that the team would continue to improve in the future.
Efficient defense to achieve “zero seals”
The new “three central defenders” lineup practiced by the Guoan team during the winter training period has a high defensive efficiency and concedes fewer goals, which made Suarez confident about the game before the game.
After the opening, this new 343 formation showed its advantages. When attacking, it can press the opponent from a high position and use the numerical advantage in the frontcourt to delay the opponent’s counterattack. When defending, the two full-backs Wang Gang and Li Lei returned to the back line, and forwards Zhang Yuning and Lin Liangming retreated to the midfield. The formation changed to 541, compressing the opponent’s cooperation space.
Although the team’s physical fitness declined in the second half, they were suppressed by the Cangzhou team for nearly 20 minutes and made many threatening shots. However, throughout the game, there were no obvious loopholes in the “three central defenders” defensive system.
Regarding this new system, Suarez said after the game: “The players executed the tactics very well and controlled the rhythm at the team’s feet after taking the lead. It is normal to have physical decline in the second half. In the next game, we will face the powerful enemy Shandong Taishan. We will do our best to prepare.”
Zhang Yuning, the hero of the goal, said: “This is my 100th game on behalf of Guoan. I have been with Guoan for many years. My goals helped the team win, which is very memorable.” Regarding the “three central defenders” formation, he feels The whole team is still adjusting. “After all, it is the first league game. We scored early, but the state is still a bit slow. As the game progresses, this lineup will get better and better.”
The performance of new players is basically up to standard
The four new players Guoan introduced during the offseason, Gujia, Traore, Lin Liangming, and He Yupeng, all got opportunities to play yesterday and showed their own characteristics.
Technical statistics show that the Guoan team’s ball possession rate in this game was as high as 75%. The two central midfielders Gujia and Chi Zhongguo connected the front and backcourt well. Guga, in particular, touched the ball 117 times and completed a team-high 98 passes, with a success rate of 89%. Throughout the game, he covered almost the entire area of Guoan’s left wing from his penalty area to the opponent’s penalty area.
As the team’s most valuable foreign aid, Guga is very active on both offense and defense. Not only can he penetrate into the front of the opponent’s penalty area when attacking, but he can also return to key positions during defense. In the 30th minute, the team switched from offense to defense. Gujia quickly defended from the front court to his penalty area, and used his fall to the ground to block the opponent’s follow-up shot.
Central defender Traore is the backbone of the defense that Suarez relies on very much. He occupies a key position in the middle of the “three central defenders” system. In this game, he completed 5 clearances, blocked the opponent’s shot once, and successfully competed for high-altitude balls 5 times. He sent 87 passes to his teammates, with a success rate of 94%.
Lin Liangming, who serves as the right winger, uses his excellent ball control and dribbling skills to create murderous opportunities on the wing. Zhang Yuning’s goal came from his timely separation after breaking through with the ball.
He Yupeng, who came on as a substitute for captain Wang Gang, only played for 11 minutes but completed 2 clearances, 1 steal, and 1 successful ground scramble. Excellent physical fitness allows him to not fall behind in confrontations with the opponent’s foreign forwards.