When it comes to teams that have frustrated people this season, Beijing Guoan's name is bound to surface. After all, they are not the ones who are short of funds, signing a luxurious lineup and adding the devilish home field advantage of Beijing Workers Stadium to keep other teams at bay. In addition, this capital city division always occupies favorable times and venues in numerous tournaments.
However, Beijing Guoan have had their ups and downs this season. They were able to sweep Shenzhen 5-0, but also suffered a 1-3 humiliation at the hands of Meizhou Hakka. In the 21st round of the Beijing-Tianjin derby, they almost lost to the Tianjin Jinmen Tigers, and only got lucky with a draw. Obviously, Guoan's problems can't be ignored, but no one has ever stepped up to the plate to solve them.
However, after a game in the 22nd round of the Chinese Super League, people have a new understanding. It turns out that there are still people who can step up at critical moments. This hero is the core of the team's midfield, Zhang Xizhe. As a former No. 10 of the national team, Zhang Xizhe's control in the Asian game has not been fully revealed, but in the current Chinese Super League, his strength can be called the top.
In that match, Guoan was away to Nantong Jiyun. Given the poor performance against Tianjin Jinmen Tigers in the previous round, Guoan fans were worried about the team's future, fearing that the team would be defeated by Nantong Zhiyun. However, in the 60th minute, Beijing Guoan had a chance to take a corner kick from the left side. Zhang Xizhe played a precise ball, Ngaardew shot in the air and broke the goal, Guoan 1-0 Nantong Jiyun. Zhang Xizhe's pass was just right, and Ngaardew's timely grab resulted in this wonderful goal.
In fact, Zhang Xizhe has always played a key role in the team's midfield. In the foreign aid era, he was responsible for linking the team and his performance was perfect. After the end of the Golden Dollar Era, the big names left the team, and Zhang Xizhe began to carry the flag in the midfield of the Guoan team. Although at first he was not too comfortable with the central position, and some of his performances were not as good as he would have liked, especially at the national team level, where he did not seem to be able to play as well as he should have. However, with the passage of time, Zhang Xizhe gradually matured, and there is no need to worry in the Chinese Super League.
Although Beijing Guoan's traditional tactics have changed since the arrival of the new coach, Zhang Xizhe still has the ability to help the team. His footwork is superb, his passing and distribution is excellent, and his set-pieces and assists are his specialty. That corner kick assist is proof of that. The role of the veterans is becoming more and more important during the painful period of upheaval and change in the team.
