In the first round of the 2023 Chinese Super League (CSL) season, Changchun Yatai at the Huzhou Olympic Sports Center Stadium beat Zhejiang 2-0, scoring the last two goals of the game to make the new season a success. The heroes of Changchun Yatai's goals were Tan Long and Sergio. Tan Long scored in the 80th minute of the match with a header after receiving a corner kick from a teammate.Eight minutes later, Serginho received a header from a teammate's cross in the penalty area.
It is worth mentioning that Tan Long, who made his record debut for Changchun Yatai, is already a 35-year-old veteran. He made his debut in the first round of the Chinese Super League and showed some great athleticism that some younger players don't have. Tan Long also achieved a number of milestones in this match as it was his 200th game at all levels of the Chinese league and 120th game in the Chinese Super League. The goal was the 100th of his career.
Born in April 1988 in Dalian, Liaoning province, Tan Long is 1.85 meters tall and plays as a center and right winger on the field. As a youngster, he was selected for the Chinese Olympic team.In 2007, he made his professional debut with Shanghai Zhongbang, where he scored his first career goal.At the end of 2008, Tan Long landed in the American League, playing for a number of clubs. Among them, joining the Vancouver Whitecaps in 2011 made him the first Chinese player to play in the US professional league.
Tan Long returned to China to join Changchun Yatai for the 2017 season, where he has played ever since. During that time, he was relegated to the Chinese First Division with the team for two seasons, and also won the Chinese First Division Golden Boot to help the team return to the Chinese Super League. It can be said that Tan Long had the pinnacle of his career at Changchun Yatai, making his national football debut at the age of 30, and was called up by the national football team because of his performances for the club.
Tan Long's physicality, impact and self-discipline are the foundations of his ability to play a full game in the Chinese Super League at the "advanced age" of 35. This year, Tan Long made his debut in the friendly match between China and New Zealand, and scored several times in Changchun Yatai's pre-season warm-up match. I believe he will still be heavily utilized by head coach Chen Yang. I hope he can continue his form and help the team achieve better results in the new season.
