Chengdu Rongcheng and Chinese Super League powerhouse Guangzhou City battled to a 1-1 draw in regular time in the 1/16 knockout round of the Yanjing Brewery 2021 National Football Association Cup, which ended yesterday afternoon. In the exciting penalty shootout, Chengdu Rongcheng's goalkeeper Zhang Yan not only blocked the opponent's shots, but also struck a fatal blow himself, eventually eliminating Guangzhou City with a narrow 6-5 (5-4 on penalties) total score, and successfully advancing to the 2021 NFA Cup Round of 16!
At the end of the tournament, Chengdu Rongcheng team manager Xu Zhengyuan personally appeared in the press conference. Talking about his team's performance, Xu was full of praise, saying, "All of us are very satisfied, the players were not afraid to face the Chinese Super League team, and they showed the confidence they deserved on the field. Zhang Yan was undoubtedly a key player in the victory and I am very happy to have won this game." Talking about the lineup for this game, Xu Zhengyuan said, "I also fielded a lot of young players in this game and they all have strength. I usually tell them not to be afraid on the field and they did a great job in today's game."
Looking ahead, Chengdu Rongcheng will face city rivals Sichuan Jiuniu in the 1/8th final of the AFC Cup. It's worth noting that Sichuan Jiuniu managed to eliminate Chinese Super League rivals Beijing Guoan in an earlier match, thus advancing to the Round of 16.
