Yesterday.
China Super League (soccer league)
The first phase of the league's 2022 season schedule has been officially announced. from June 3 to July 12, the three divisions - Meizhou, Dalian, and Haikou - will see 42 days of intense competition with 10 rounds and a total of 90 matches.
On the evening of June 3, a key battle will kick off at the Wuyuanhe Stadium in Haikou, with defending champions Shandong Taishan taking on Zhejiang. Meanwhile, Guangzhou will face Shanghai Shenhua in Dalian, the first game for new manager Liu Zhiyu since he took over; Guangzhou City will play Changchun Yatai, last season's dark horse; Shenzhen will challenge promoted horse Chengdu Rongcheng in Meizhou, the debut of Shenzhen's new manager Li Zhangshu after his return; and Meizhou Hakka will have its first matchup in the Super League at the Huitang Stadium at the Wuhua Olympic Sports Center against the Tianjin Jinmen Tigers.
Looking at the specific fixtures of the southern Guangdong four in the first stage, Guangzhou will face Dalian division rival Shanghai Harbor in the fourth and ninth rounds, with the two teams having faced off against each other
China Super League (soccer league)
The peak of the battle, now the eight champion Shandong Taishan team is empty, but is relying on young players to fight hard.
Shenzhen and Meizhou Hakka will start the Guangdong derby in the third and eighth rounds. As the two least changed of the four teams, who can lead the southern Guangdong soccer between SZFC and Meizhou Hakka has become the focus of Guangdong fans' attention. Guangzhou City, on the other hand, will face Haikou Division foe Shandong Taishan in the third and eighth rounds.
The first phase of the schedule is compact, with 10 rounds of 90 matches to be completed in 42 days, basically maintaining the rhythm of one match in three to four days. Such an intensive schedule will undoubtedly greatly test the reserves of the 18 teams.
Guangzhou's 35-member first-team roster for the new season includes 29 people from Evergrande's football school, with an average age of only 21.12 years old, setting a record for the youngest Guangzhou team in the past 12 years, and also refreshing the
China Super League (soccer league)
The all-time record for the youngest team. Compared to Shanghai Shenhua and Chengdu Rongcheng (both with an average age of 27.9 years), Guangzhou's young players have an advantage in terms of fitness and recovery speed, but given the players' lack of
China Super League (soccer league)
With his experience, manager Liu Zhiyu must rely on core players such as Jiang Guangtai, Yang Liyu, Wei Shihao, etc. The lack of bench depth will be a shortcoming for the Guangzhou team. How to maintain the team's fighting strength through the rotation strategy will be a major test of Liu Zhiyu's coaching ability.
