In a fierce battle, Guoan defeated Dalian Ren by two goals, and after the game, the team celebrated the victory with their fans. Although it was only a regular season game, the enthusiasm was as great as the season finale. Zhang Xizhe, who had been suspended for seven months, returned to the field and fought alongside his teammates, a moment whose significance transcended the victory itself. Guoan team showed the unity among the players and the deep emotion between the players and the fans. Currently, Guoan has 45 points with 12 wins, 9 draws and 6 losses, only 3 points behind third-place Shenhua, and in the remaining three rounds of matches, the fight for the top three positions is still full of suspense.
Double Happiness. Following the league victory, four Guoan players - Li Lei, Li Ke, Gao Tianyi and Fang Hao - were called up by the national team. While the first three players are mostly regulars in the national soccer team, concentrating on the back line, the selection of 23-year-old Fang Hao came as a surprise. Although Fang Hao only joined Guoan six months ago, his strength has long been evident in his time with Taishan. Taishan did not renew Fang Hao's contract, and Guoan was able to bring him in. At that time, Fang Hao was only a reserve player for the team and did not receive much attention from the outside world.
In the past six months, Fang Hao only made 4 starts although he played 17 games for Guoan. Nevertheless, he still contributed 3 goals and 1 assist, leaving a deep impression in Yang Kovic's mind with his efficient performance. In the Asian Games, Fang Hao created chances for his teammates at all costs, and his individual breakthroughs were also quite threatening. Therefore, at the age of 23, Fang Hao was able to be selected for the national team, which is a rare experience and fully proves his strength.
Fang Hao's selection is undoubtedly a big gain for Guoan. Firstly, he has grown from an unheralded player to an international player, thanks to Guoan's discerning eye. Secondly, Fang Hao's selection made Taishan regret, as they failed to keep the future star at a crucial moment. Lastly, Fang Hao has unlimited potential and a bright future ahead of him, so Guoan should not give up on this potential stock.
Guoan has also achieved remarkable results in terms of reinforcements. Han Jiaqi became the starting goalkeeper for the Asian Games men's soccer team, Li Lei returned and was selected for the national soccer team again, Yang Liyu settled into a starting position, and Feng Boxuan provided side support for the team. Zhang Yuan's strength is trustworthy, and although he was unable to play his full strength this season due to injury, he is expected to become a member of the national soccer team in the future.
Compared to the domestic players, Guoan still has room for improvement in terms of foreign aid introduction. De Souza was injured and Ademi left the team, failing to adapt to the team despite their excellent resumes. However, Guoan realized a profit in Ademi's transfer, reserving funds for reinforcements in the winter window.
Fang Hao's success will inspire more young domestic players to see the value of Guoan's platform, which is the main reason why Zhang Yuan gave up his high salary and joined Guoan. As a traditional Chinese powerhouse, Guoan has a responsibility to develop young players for the national team at all levels.
