Guoan's pillar Yu Dabao tussles with visiting foe Ye Chugui for the ball in the air. Photograph by Wang Fei of the New Beijing News
On the night of April 15, the opening match and opening ceremony of the 2023 Chinese Super League season opened in grand style at the refreshed Beijing Workers' Stadium. After three years, Beijing Guoan and Meizhou Hakka played to a 1-1 draw, failing to have the ideal start. After the match, captain Yu Dabao was honored as the best player.
lit. clouds on the scene
Past sentiments surge as Guoan returns to new nest
At 20:05, referee Ma Ning blew the horn for the match between Beijing Guoan and Meizhou Hakka. This is a game that Beijing fans have been eagerly waiting for. It is not only the first game of the new season of the Chinese Super League, but also the debut of Guoan's team this season, as well as the first game after the new stadium was put into use. After three years away, Guoan and the fans return to the "last courtyard".
Since the afternoon of game day, green crowds have been streaming into this newly constructed sports home. Three years in the making, the familiar game day has brought a hint of unfamiliarity, as fans and media alike adapt to the layout of this "new home". Before the opening ceremony, every light on the field triggered cheers from the fans. The stands were filled with a warm and friendly atmosphere, with greetings of "long time no see" - many old friends gathered to cheer for Guoan, Jin Zhiyang, Zhou Ning, Wang Changqing and other "old Guoan! Many old friends gathered to cheer for Guoan, Jin Zhiyang, Zhou Ning, Wang Changqing and other "old Guoan" players.
The flags fluttering on the stands, the scarf wall, the cell phone flashlights converge into a "sea of stars"...... The iconic elements of the former Guoan home stadium were reproduced in the new industrial stadium. "Everything is back", people have a lot of feelings, looking forward to the protagonists - Guoan players - can draw a perfect conclusion for the opening game.
After the break, Zhang Xizhe (#10) was ecstatic with a penalty stroke.
