Beijing Guoan went down 0-7 to the mighty Kawasaki Strikers in a tightly contested matchup. Behind the visual impact was a stark contrast between the two teams' records, with the Chinese Super League side earning just one draw.
Yang Pu, deputy director of youth training at Beijing Guoan, said, "It is an extremely valuable and rare opportunity for young players to participate in an intercontinental tournament when they are less than 21 years old."
All three Chinese Super League (CSL) teams are missing foreign players from this season's AFC Champions League entry list. Shanghai Harbour Team has a mix of first-team substitutes and U23 players for the qualifying rounds, while Guangzhou and Beijing Guoan have young players as their main players. Guoan's team has an average age of 20.9 years old, while Guangzhou's team shows youthful vigor with an average age of 19.16 years old.
Unlike other teams in the Chinese Super League, Guoan's opponents in the group stage are all playing with their main lineups. In terms of price comparison, the gap between Guoan and Kawasaki Striker is obvious, with the latter's total price reaching as high as 22.175 million euros, while the total price of Guoan's youth army is only 850,000 euros.
Shanghai Seaport failed to advance to the group stage after losing 0-1 to Kaya Philippines in the qualifying round. Guangzhou and Beijing Guoan both scored a point in their opening matches, and although Guangzhou lost 0-2 to Cerezo Osaka, the performance of their young players deserves to be recognized.
However, the next two rounds were a real test for the young players. Guangzhou suffered their third consecutive defeat, while Guoan lost 0-7 to Kawasaki Striker and 0-5 to Daegu FC.After the first round of the group stage, the focus was on how Guangzhou and Beijing Guoan would perform.
The psychological hurdles that young players have to face in the AFC Champions League cannot be ignored. Although Guoan has experienced players like Guo Quanbo in the team, the other players' "biggest game" may only be last year's AFC Cup. The average age of the Guangzhou team is less than 20 years old, and they are even more inexperienced in the competition.
Yang Pu's request to the young players is: "Show your own style, go all out to scramble and run, and play with the vigor of young people." The AFC Champions League is seen as a test of the youth training results of the Chinese Super League teams, and through such high-level competitions, young players can gain valuable growth opportunities.
Mental adjustment is equally important. Guoan's 0-7 defeat against Kawasaki Frontale was a shock to the young players' self-confidence, but Guoan did not get discouraged against Daegu FC and continued to look for opportunities in the game.
This year's AFC Champions League is regarded as a test for the youth training of the Chinese Super League salons, and while facing up to the gaps and deficiencies, it is also important to recognize the efforts of the young players. The next group stage will be the biggest attraction to see whether the two Chinese Super League youth armies can learn from their experiences and make progress in the tournament.
