One of the hot topics of discussion nowadays is the shortage of midfielders, especially those who can link up the offense and create scoring chances, which is widely perceived in our soccer world. In light of this, the Chinese Football Association (CFA) and many clubs have tried to naturalize foreign players such as Golat and Teixeira. But it didn't work out that way, and Evergrande's mistake forced Golat to recalculate his stay in China despite having been granted Chinese citizenship. Unable to resist, he eventually chose to return to Brazil. Teixeira, on the other hand, although the time was right, the end of the Chinese Super League's golden dollar era and the dissolution of Jiangsu Suning made his return to the team a distant prospect.
How does the midfield of our national soccer team cope without the help of foreigners? For quite a long period of time, the team's scoring organization in Asia was once in trouble. However, head coach Li Tie has found a central midfielder who can take on this responsibility - Zhang Xizhe of Beijing Guoan.
As we all know, Zhang Xizhe was once one of the national team's "four little swans", good at organizing the midfield. However, with the arrival of the Chinese Super League's golden dollar era, many big-name foreign aid to join the national team, Zhang Xizhe's role has gradually changed from an organizer to a tandem. Despite the performance, the national team needs players who can hold the ball and organize. As a result, Zhang Xizhe has taken on more responsibility in the national team, even though he was once dissatisfied with the No. 10 jersey bestowed upon him by Li Tie.
However, with the end of the Golden Dollar era and the departure of the foreigners, Zhang Xizhe's responsibility in the Guoan team has become more and more important, and he has gradually adapted to the role. The team needs him to pass the ball and organize, and as he grows older and more experienced, his performance becomes more and more stable. Even sometimes, he can play the role of foreign aid.
In the 23rd round of the Chinese Super League, for example, Guoan faced the second-ranked Shanghai Shenhua. Shenhua broke the deadlock with a counterattack only 13 minutes into the match. The pressure on the home team increased.
However, Zhang Xizhe quickly stepped up. In the 27th minute, he deftly played the ball with the back of his foot from outside the area to Kang Siang-woo, who crossed it to Fabio, who stopped the ball and turned it into the goal. Guoan 1-1 Shenhua! Zhang Xizhe orchestrates the attack +1!
Immediately after, in the 36th minute, Zhang Xizhe passed from the right road, Fabio grabbed a header to break the goal, Guoan team 2-1 Shenhua! Zhang Xizhe assists again +1.
In the end, the game ended with a score of 2-1 as Guoan turned back the mighty Shenhua at home. Both goals were contributed by Zhang Xizhe, who became the hero of the team. This shows that the No.10 player of our national team has extraordinary strength and is already good enough to compete with foreigners in the Chinese Super League. As for how he performs in the national team's Asian matches, it still needs to be verified through actual matches.
