A game, the first half and the second half, like two very different teams. After the game, Adeben Lo's words seem to unveil the mystery - at halftime, coach Stanley Menzo's "stroke of genius" became the key to the second half of Beijing Guoan's new look. So, were Adebenelo's words a pre-arranged strategy, or did he really feel the power of Menzo's tactical adjustments?
For that controversial penalty kick, discussing the rules may have been meaningless, the verdict has been set. The key is that the Guoan players did not panic after the penalty kick controversy, but as if the clouds were lifted, reproduced the proper level.
Compared to the three goals, Guoan actually had more chances, with Zhang Yuning's shot hitting the goal frame and Kang Xiangyou's two shots on goal being quite threatening. It is not worth bragging too much about winning the game or the number of goals scored against the lower-ranked Wuhan Changjiang. But from a personal perspective, this game showed many aspects of the Guoan team's good side.
First of all, Adebenelo's goal-scoring ability should not be overlooked.
In order to be one of the "strongest" teams in the Chinese Super League, it is obviously not enough to have only one scoring point. In this game, Adebenelo proved that he is not only good at breaking through from the side, but also can lock up the game for his team at critical moments. This will make Guoan's offense more diversified and bring more pressure to the opponent's defense.
Turning to Adebenelo, his value has been demonstrated in the game from being a has-been and a water boy to a starter. Although he has yet to live up to fans' expectations of a foreigner, his role on the field is obvious. To be honest, it's the first time I've seen a player as uncoordinated as him. However, this "inconsistency" has become his advantage. In the game, he was always able to break through seemingly impenetrable defenses and gain the upper hand in the confrontation. Watching today's match, the image of "Ghostfoot" came to my mind - an awkward move, but one that is extremely useful to the man himself. That's exactly what I got from Adebenelo.
Second, the center backs are actively involved in the offense.
In recent years, it has become popular in European professional football for center backs to be involved in the attack. Menzo obviously wants to introduce this model to the Guoan team. In today's game, I was surprised to see center back Yu Dabao appearing in the opponent's box and actively participating in the attack. And Adebenelo's equalizing goal came from a long pass from center back Memisevic.
Post-match data show that the game, the number of passes and the threat of the ball most of the top four players are Guoan players, of which Zhang Xizhe passes out 7 times the threat of the ball, Memishevic and Adeben Lo, Prince Ming passed out two times each. This kind of game is the real "all attack, all defense".
Third, the whole team is united.
When Wang Gang broke through and was taken down by the other team, the whole team worked together. It wasn't meant to be a "fight", but rather a show of solidarity. I was surprised again when Zhang Xizhe was the first one to go over to the other team and accuse the other team's foreigner of committing a foul. Zhang Xizhe has always given people the impression of being more introverted, but today's "hot" performance reflects his responsibility and commitment to the team.
I'm very happy to see this kind of motivation from Zhang Xizhe. Among the players currently playing for Guoan, I think Zhang Xizhe is the most suitable candidate to be the captain. Although Yu Dabao is also doing well, Zhang Xizhe's soccer is closely linked to Beijing Guoan. He came from Guoan's youth training and has spent his career at Guoan. I really hope Zhang Xizhe can win another title with Guoan.
At the end of the day, soccer is all about performance on the field.
Why care about all the news and issues off the field? All I can do as a fan is support my home team the way I love to. I believe that negativity cannot bring positive results. Go Beijing Guoan!
