Speaking on the changes at Beijing Guo’an this season, veteran player Yu Dabao acknowledged that the team has undergone significant transformation, with many players leaving and fresh faces arriving. “No matter which position I play, I’ll give it my all and fight for a starting spot,” Yu said confidently. “I’m in good shape, and since joining Guo’an, both my fitness and my national team standing have improved. I still want to play quality football for a few more years.” In the studio discussion that followed, former Guo’an player Nan Fang remarked that positional changes for Yu shouldn’t be a problem. […]

Four years ago in the AFC U-19 Championship quarterfinal, China’s U-19 squad lost 4-2 to Qatar after both Wei Shihao and Zhou Yuchen were shown red cards. That defeat ended their hopes of qualifying for the 2015 U-20 World Cup in New Zealand. In that match, Zhang Yuning, returning from injury, started but wasn’t at his best—missing a key one-on-one opportunity before being subbed off in the 30th minute. Reflecting on that match and the current tournament, Zhang expressed deep frustration. “Honestly, those two fouls by He Chao didn’t even add up to a yellow card,” he said. “Then in […]