Look at that figure on the pitch, Zhang Yuning (center) is fiercely grabbing laps with his teammates. Xinhua's Zhang Chenlin captured the moment.
In the late afternoon of July 24, Beijing Guoan welcomed a crucial moment of the year at the training base - the first open media session and fan meeting day. With the Central Football Association (CFA) and CFL preparatory team announcing that the home-and-away system will be reintroduced in the second phase of the Chinese Super League, Guoan boss Xie Feng revealed that the team is fully prepared for all eventualities.
After Guoan finished the first stage of the tournament on July 11, the coaching team gave the players a nine-day long vacation and reassembled on the 21st. In the open session on the 24th, most of the players returned to training, but Xie Longfei did not show up for the time being, Adebenelo rested due to a tooth extraction, while Jin Pengxiang trained alone under the guidance of a physical trainer due to an injury. In the 80-minute training session, the team practiced grabbing laps, confrontation and positional ball practice. From the performance of the players, it is evident that they have quickly switched to the state of preparation after the vacation.
The CFA and CFL preparatory team announced on July 6 that the home and away system will be restored to the Chinese Super League, to which Xie Feng said, "The players are of course eager to play at home, and this decision may come to fruition soon. We've prepared for every situation - home or away - and we'll give it our all."
After 10 rounds in the first phase of the Chinese Super League, Guoan is in fifth place in the table with 4 wins, 4 draws and 2 losses. Xie Feng summarized, "The data shows that our forward passes have decreased and so has our possession rate. I've always emphasized footwork, but sometimes the players choose to play the ball with big feet due to the constraints of the field. This is what we need to improve in the next stage, strengthening the midfield organization and receiving without the ball."
Guoan's next training session will focus on tactical drills to prepare for the final sprint to the second phase of the Chinese Super League, which kicks off on August 5th.
