As we enter May 7, the 2021 Chinese Super League season is in full swing, and the dust has settled on the honor of the best player of the third round. Zhang Xizhe, the midfielder soul from Beijing Guoan, won the honor with 77.5% of the votes, becoming the first local player to win the best player of a single round in the new season.
Looking back at the third round of Chinese Super League matches, Zhang Xizhe shone in Guoan's match against Dalian Ren, scoring twice. Facing Augusto's absence and Bieira's injury, Zhang Xizhe stepped up to become the pillar of Guoan's offense. In the 53rd and 55th minutes, he performed back-to-back head-to-head stunts to help his team win their first victory of the season. This was also the 42nd and 43rd goals of his Chinese Super League career, while creating a record of 12 consecutive seasons with goals. According to statistics, his running distance in this game was as high as 10,849 meters, with a high-intensity running interval of about 548 meters. Zhang Xizhe's outstanding performance not only demonstrates the rise of local players in the Chinese Super League, but also the best local players.
In addition to Zhang Xizhe, Guangzhou City's wingback Tang Miao was also among the top three best players. In the match against Qingdao, Tang Miao helped his teammate Thiago to complete the shutout with a quick breakaway pass. As the captain of the team, he played a key role in the team's difficult situation. In addition, he came close to completing a shot and a pass. Another candidate for third place is Shanghai Harbor's Muy.
With many foreign players unable to return due to the epidemic and clubs restricted in attracting reinforcements, elite local players such as Zhang Xizhe and Tang Miao have emerged as the highlights of the new Chinese Super League season. Their superb skills on the field proved that Chinese players can take over the baton of foreign players and play a central role in the team.
This phenomenon is encouraging and a positive sign for the national soccer team. The collective outburst of local players is not limited by age: 36-year-old Huang Xiyang of Chongqing Liangjiang Athletic still manages to show the free-kick skills of a crescent moon scimitar, while youngsters of the new generation such as Yin Congyao, Duan Liuyu, Fang Hao, and Han Jiaqi are also worthy of attention. Current internationals such as Zhang Xunzhe, Jin Jingdao, Wu Xi and Yin Hongbo have injected hope into the national soccer team's World Cup dream by scoring or assisting. A hundred flowers blossom, each show their ability, the new pattern of the Chinese Super League, the new excitement of local players.
