In 2023, the soccer clouds are rising again. From June 22nd to 25th, the China Football Association Cup was in full swing, with Guangzhou becoming the focal battleground. Shanghai Harbour Team challenged their old rivals Guangzhou on the road, and the result of 3-1 witnessed the Harbour Team's victory and another victory on the road to promotion. Zhang Linpeng, the former Guangzhou player, is in the spotlight today, and his every step touches the hearts of the fans.
"Today, when I stroll in Yuexiushan Stadium, in front of my eyes surging a sea of fans cheering for the Guangzhou team, my heart is surging, doubly affectionate. Here, it is the battlefield I used to play on, and here, there are my deep thoughts." Zhang Linpeng strolled along the sidelines with his son after the match to express his sincere gratitude to the fans and recalled fondly in media interviews.
However, Zhang Linpeng also frankly faced the current situation of Guangzhou team: "I never expected that Guangzhou team would come to this point. Since I moved to Shanghai Port last year, I have witnessed the departure of Zhi and the succession of Zhiyu, and I have followed every game closely. From the inside, the team's performance is beyond normal imagination, which may have a lot to do with the personnel structure." He mentioned that the team's starters are mostly young players, who come from soccer schools but are still inexperienced, and their mental qualities are also a big test.
"But we can't blame them for that, we can only hope that they can catch up as they gain experience and help the team return to the top flight. If they can achieve their goal, it will undoubtedly inject unlimited confidence and motivation into their career." Zhang Linpeng's words were full of confidence in the Guangzhou team.
Talking about Guangzhou's relegation prospects in the Central League, Zhang Linpeng was full of confidence: "The team has accumulated some experience and the players have a clear understanding of their position and strong expectations. I believe that none of the players will think that we will be relegated, and we will definitely do our best to achieve our relegation goal. We are united and working together and I am sure we will succeed in relegation!"
