Late in the evening of Dec. 26, the 19th round of the Chinese Super League, the Guangzhou division beat Beijing Guoan by a narrow margin of 1-0. 41-year-old double veteran Zheng Zhi made his debut as a player, and a key direct hit at the end of the half helped Deng Hanwen score the winning goal.
Guangzhou took revenge on Beijing Guoan with a one-goal deficit, successfully reversing a one-goal disadvantage in the first round of the second phase and continuing to lead the table behind Shanghai Harbour on goal difference. However, the highlight of the match was not Guangzhou's revenge, but Zheng Zhi's first appearance as a player in the Chinese Super League's title contenders' group, who delivered an assist at the crucial moment to make Deng Hanwen's goal possible.
Since Cannavaro's departure, Zheng Zhi has quickly become the centerpiece of the team, from preparation to daily training, he has been involved in the capacity of executive manager and player, and his performance has won the praise of the outside world. In the first four rounds of matches, although Zheng Zhi sat on the bench as executive manager, he was always actively involved in the team's preparations, but he was never able to wear his No. 10 uniform in the matches.
It wasn't until the evening of the 26th that Zheng Zhi's name once again appeared in the starting list. This was his first start on behalf of Guangzhou since he came on as a substitute for Qingdao in the final round of the first phase of the Chinese Super League, and it was also his second appearance on behalf of Guangzhou in the Chinese Super League after a gap of 231 days.
In the match, Zheng Zhi continued to play a key role in the midfield in the transition between offense and defense, and his performance on the field was equally outstanding. Before being substituted in the 61st minute, Zheng Zhi had a total of 45 chances with the ball, with a passing success rate of 86% and a long pass success rate of 80%. Before the end of the half, his direct shot from the center created a scoring opportunity for Deng Hanwen, which was also the only goal of the match.
Speaking about Zheng Zhi's performance, Guangzhou head coach Liu Zhiyu said that although Zheng Zhi is the team's executive manager, he has always had the desire to play. After a study, the decision was made to start Zheng Zhi in a tactical rotation.
Guangzhou team showed good form in this game. Despite the bad weather, the team still strictly executed the pre-match deployment and finally achieved the victory. Liu Zhiyu believes that the team's performance is worthy of this victory, and the team will continue to make tactical adjustments according to different opponents in the upcoming matches.
Text|Ye Hui
Edit|Fat Cat
