As the clock struck Beijing time on February 20, a key matchup in the second leg of the AFC Champions League (AFC Champions League) 1/8 final came to a close. Shandong Taishan defeated Kawasaki Frontale 4-2 in the second half, eliminating the opponent with a thrilling 6-5 aggregate score, which is the third time the team has advanced to the last eight of the AFC Champions League since the beginning of the year, equaling the best record in the team's history.
In this fierce battle, Taishan's two foreign stars, Cressan and Jadson, managed to advance, while local midfielder Lee Won-yi also performed brilliantly. Coach Choi Kang-hee put his trust in Lee Won-yi. Soon after the game started, Lee made a key steal in front of the field and then skillfully broke through to the Kawasaki Striker's penalty area, opening the way for Kressan's goal.
The game was in full swing, and Li Yuanyi's performance became more and more dazzling. In the extra time, he almost helped Taishan to lock the game in advance. At that time, Li Yuanyi did not hesitate to shoot from the top of the penalty area with amazing power. Had it not been for Kawasaki's goalkeeper Jung Sung Ryong's heroic save, Lee might have been able to pull off a miracle four minutes earlier.
The authoritative rating agency sofascore gave Li Yuanyi a high score of 7.6 points after the game, second only to Cressan and Jadson. Many netizens have praised him, calling him "China's version of Modric" and "the strongest midfielder in China" and wondered, "Why can't this kind of strength be selected for the Asian Cup?"
Up to now, Li Yuanyi has played 36 matches for Taishan, making 29 starts and contributing 3 goals and 7 assists, making his midfield performance quite bright. Unfortunately, he failed to be selected for the national team.
In the previous Asian Cup, Lee Won-yi, who had been highly touted, failed to get a chance to play. The national team's weak midfield was also one of the key factors in the group stage loss. It is envisioned that if Kovic had called up Li Yuanyi, with his tireless running, the Chinese men's soccer team might have been able to avoid the embarrassment of recording the worst result in the Asian Cup.
