Today in Dalian football history: 1997 A classic matchup, Dalian Wanda drew 0-0 with Beijing Guoan, Li Guoxu came on as a substitute (December 14)
On December 14, 1997, in the 20th round of the League A (Wanchi Note: the predecessor of the Chinese Super League), a match between Beijing and Dalian was staged at the famous Beijing Workers Stadium. The defending champion Dalian Wanda, who had already won two consecutive championships in advance, played away against Beijing Guoan.
Although the overall situation of the league has been decided, as the top teams, Dalian Wanda coached by Chi Shangbin and Beijing Guoan coached by Jin Zhiyang both sent their strongest lineups without any reservations.
Take a look at the starting lineups and substitute rosters of both teams.
(None of the pictures are from this game)
Dalian Wanda (4-4-2):1-Han Wenhai; 17-Sun Jihai, captain 5-Xu Hong, 2-Zhang Enhua, 4-Zhu Xiaodong (77th minute, 12-Sun Minghui); 6-Li Ming, 8-Wang Peng, 25-Neike, 14-Jins (81st minute, 19-Li Guoxu); Dalian team forward, 20-Xiao Wang Tao.
Beijing Guoan (5-3-2):1-Yao Jian; 7-Xie Feng, 4-Han Xu, 13-Lu Jun, 3-Xie Chaoyang, 2-Liu Jianjun; 14-Zhou Ning (83rd minute, 20-Southern), 15-Deng Lejun, 11-Gombos; 23-Andres, 24-Cassiano (83rd minute, 10-Yang Chen).
Chief referee: Wang Xuezhi; assistant referees: Liu Bingcheng, Ma Mingsheng.
It is worth mentioning that Dalian Yingbo marshal Li Guoxu came on as a substitute in the final stage.
After the start of the first half, Beijing Guoan, playing at home, took the lead in using the speed of both wings to launch an offensive.
Just one minute into the game, Gompers, who represented the Paraguay men’s football team in the 1998 World Cup with his outstanding performance in the Chinese League, dribbled the ball from the left and won a corner kick. Andres, Xie Feng and Cassiano also launched attacks one after another.
The experienced Dalian Wanda held firm and withstood three attacks from the opponent before launching a counterattack. In the 16th minute, the Dalian forward got the ball and quickly broke into the penalty area. He missed the goal without any defense and missed the opportunity. Subsequently, together with Xiao Wang Tao and Li Ming, they frequently launched offensive attacks, and young player Sun Jihai also provided assists. The two teams performed high-speed transitions between offense and defense for more than 20 minutes, with fierce competition in the midfield, each with its own advantages and opportunities.
In the 34th minute, Andres got the ball and assisted Zhou Ning, who hit the goal slightly higher. In the 39th minute, Dalian team forward, Wang Tao and Li Ming cooperated and quickly penetrated into the frontcourt. Li Ming completed a high-quality shot. Yao Jianru, with divine help, blocked this inevitable goal with one hand. In the 40th minute, Cassiano got rid of several defensive players on the right and passed in. Andres jumped up and headed the ball off the left post and flew out of the field. In the first minute of stoppage time in the first half, Deng Lejun received a pass from the left and volleyed immediately. The ball went down in front of the goal but missed the crossbar and flew out. The opportunity was missed.
In the first half, the game changed sides, and it was still Gompers who won the corner kick in the first minute. The two teams’ fighting and transition speed were even faster than in the first half. They played exquisite cooperation. Unfortunately, many must-goals were resolved by the goalkeeper or defender.
In the 79th minute, the forward of the Dalian team quickly counterattacked and formed a single goal. The brave Yao Jian flew out with the ball as soon as the opponent took off his foot and saved the ball incredibly. In the 86th minute, Yang Chen, who came on as a substitute, dodged the attacking Han Wenhai and hit an empty goal. Unfortunately, the ball was far away and the ball was not fast. The defender returned to defense at high speed and destroyed the ball out of the baseline. In the 88th minute, Andres missed the chance to end the game with his header. The game ended with the fans still unsatisfied and excited.
After the game, the always humble coach Chi Shangbin said that he learned a lot from Beijing Guoan. Jin Zhiyang believes that if every league game plays to such a high level, there will be hope for Chinese football. He also praises Dalian Wanda as a champion team that can maintain a high level in every game.
Published in: Liaoning
