China's soccer midfield dilemma: Rise and challenge at the same time
Currently, our soccer world is facing a severe shortage of midfielders.
The Premier League appears to be out of its depth in terms of creativity and control.
Behind China's lack of attacking power, foreigners in the Chinese Super League are to blame for occupying the central midfield position.
This makes it difficult for our league to develop a true midfield core.
However, as the golden dollar era came to an end, local players began to show their talents on the Chinese Super League stage.
The emergence of a new generation of young midfielders has given us a glimmer of hope.
Shanghai Shenhua's Dai Weijun is one of the most talked about new stars.
Dai Weijun, a Chinese player with a difference, left early for England with his father.
He gradually developed a European style of playing under the English youth training system.
He is imaginative and confidently swings the soccer and has played for the Premier League Wolves ladder.
He also played particularly well for the U21s and U23s, shooting from distance.
Dai Weijun returned to China and joined Shenzhen in the Chinese Super League.
At that time, Shenzhen was in the ascendancy, and Dai Weijun played as a member of the team, alongside stars such as Jintro.
Dai Weijun's performance has earned him praise from fans and is being hailed as a local Gentile.
After honing his skills with the Shenzhen team, Dai Weijun was successfully selected for the national team.
He showed confidence and creativity against Japan in the Round of 12.
Many fans believe that with experience, Dai Weijun will be able to work well with his national teammates.
Expected to be the centerpiece of the national team's midfield.
However, Dai Weijun recently hit a bottleneck and left the Shenzhen team for Shanghai Shenhua due to unpaid wages.
However, his performance at Shenhua did not live up to expectations, making only six starts in 17 games and contributing one assist.
Most of Dai Weijun's playing time was concentrated towards the end of the second half.
Meanwhile, other players, such as 24-year-old Xu Haoyang, have been more impressive at Shenhua.
Xu Hao Yang, known as "small Qihong", the outstanding product of Genbao base.
He spent the 2022 season playing for Chinese Super League champions Wuhan Sanzhen and was recognized by big name midfielders such as Stancho.
This season, Xu Haoyang was recalled by Shenhua and became the team's mainstay.
He was comfortable in front of the net, always delivering deadly passes and even scoring himself.
In 30 games, Xu Haoyang has made 22 starts, scoring one goal and dishing out four assists.
Xu Haoyang's simple style seems to be more in line with Shenhua's tactical system.
While he may not be as flashy as Dai Weijun, his consistency is something to look forward to.
So, can Xu Haoyang take his place in the national team?
