If you asked your opponents to evaluate Chinese soccer more than 20 years ago, I believe many of them would say "head team". Because at that time, the national football team's strikers were high and fast, especially high, and many teams could not stand it. No matter how passive the scene, the national football team often side pass, the middle of the header will solve the problem. Especially Southeast Asian teams are afraid of us. Although they are very flexible, foot skills and speed are better than us, but a height is enough to suppress them.
But then, we felt that this style of play was too simple and crude and backward, so we started to stop going down that road. In addition, as the league opened up further, more ideas flowed into it. After broadening our horizons, we began to learn from teams like Holland and Spain. But unfortunately, I didn't learn anything. In the end, I didn't know what style I played. Losing themselves, Chinese soccer gradually fell from the first class in Asia to the third class in Asia.
It was not until Shandong Taishan, a veteran Chinese Super League team, introduced Italian high center forward Pelé that we gradually realized that the high center forward's style of play was so simple and efficient, and so suitable for us. At that time, Taishan maintained the top 5 in the Chinese Super League with little investment by virtue of their high center forward style of play. Moreover, in the AFC Champions League, Taishan was also the strongest team in Japan and South Korea, and came out first in the group, which showed that Japan and South Korea were also afraid of this style of play.
As a result, Chinese Super League teams began to find their own high centers, and almost every team that played the high center tactic made progress in terms of results. Even the national team profited from the high center forward in the Asian Cup. In the knockout round of 16, the national football team faced Thailand, 0-1 down at half-time, and then replaced with high center forward Xiao Zhi in the second half, immediately equalized the score and achieved a rebound. So all this proves that we are suitable for high centers and we need high centers.
However, prior to that we had the few senior CBs who were old, Yang Xu had retired and Xiao Zhi was 40 and had won titles so far. So none of them can be counted on. We haven't developed too many high centers over the years, so how can we play without them? Luckily for Shandong Taishan, they kept the tradition alive by producing the young Guo Tianyu, who managed to replace Pele as the mainstay of Taishan's strikers in the 2021 season, scoring 10 goals that season to become the local Silver Boot.
So at that time, many fans thought that Guo Tianyu was the hope of the future of the national football strikers, and even everyone's expectations for him were far more than Zhang Yuning. However, since his return from a short study trip last season, Guo Tianyu's form has been offline, especially this season. So far, he hasn't scored a goal and even sat on the bench. Everyone is worried about Guo, but the reality is that he's really not giving it a go right now.
So we have to worry, what if Xiao Guo can't play, can we use forwards and high centers in our national soccer team? This question may not have been answered before this year, but after this round of the Chinese Super League, the answer to that question is Henan's local high center forward Feng Bo Yuan!
In the fourth round of the Chinese Super League (CSL), Henan team challenged Shenzhen team on the road, Feng Boyuan made his season debut, debut, and scored a goal in the 49th minute of the game. At that time, Henan's corner kick began, the center of the penalty area Kovic header through Feng Boyuan, the score became 1-0. Feng Boyuan debut, debut, the first goal of the day are completed, he also showed his sense of smell in the penalty area.
The fact that Feng Bo Yuan is doing so well doesn't surprise many fans as he is also an overseas player, having played for Croatia's first division Ruszta. He was later poached back by Chinese Super League giants Jiangsu Suning as a replacement for high center forward wide man Santini. However, the Jiangsu Suning team was disbanded after winning the championship, and Feng Boyuan joined the Kunshan FC team on a free. Last season, Feng Boyuan exploded onto the scene for Kunshan FC, he played 28 games for the team, 21 of which he started, scoring 15 goals and 2 assists, pretty scary stats, and it can be said that Feng Boyuan was the hero of the Kunshan FC Super. But before the start of this season, Kunshan FC disbanded again, so Feng Bo Yuan was the head coach of the Kunshan FC team to Henan.
In the first three rounds, Feng Bo Yuan was unable to play due to injury, and Henan was not doing very well. Finally, in the fourth round, Feng Boyuan was injured and scored. His 191 height gives him absolute control in the air, and his physical confrontation is very strong as a pivot point. Obviously, he's in good shape right now, too.
Advanced than Guo Tianyu, Feng Boyuan, now 28, seems to be able to carry more hope. If Guo doesn't work hard, he could be crushed by Feng Bo Yuan again. Are you optimistic about Feng Bo Yuan? What do you think Guo Tianyu needs to do now to regain his form? Feel free to discuss in the comments section!
