200 Goals!?
Can we score 200 league goals in one season?
Please note that you can find the latest standings and selected statistics on this splash page.
200 Goals
Well, we did it. We hit 200 goals for the season.
This one came pretty quickly. Younes Delfi scored in the 3rd minute to make it 1-0. He then scored again in the 10th minute, goal number 201 on the season for us, to make it 2-0.
Zhu Bin added in his first goal of the season to put us up 3-0 in the 14th minute. And we basically coasted from there.
3-0 wasn’t a great scoreline, though I can forgive the players after the drama of that Chinese FA Cup game. Now we have some time to rest and reflect on our accomplishments.
The next goal is to get our goal differential up to 200. Finally, I’m hoping we can wind up winning every single competitive match this season. That one might be tricky, though: I don’t think we’re going to be favorites for the cup final at the end of the season.
But you never know.
One That Got Away?
The press made a huge deal about a very young centerback named Du Kai who started for the Qingdao Red Lions in our 3-0 win.
Apparently he had been a Yanbian player at one point in time. I did a bit of research, and realized that he was one of the young players I was quick to get rid of right after I arrived.
Du Kai has a good personality and clearly has a lot of potential. He’s only 16 years old, and yet has started 9 games for the Qingdao Red Lions first team already.
Still, my scouts reminded me that he’s not a particularly consistent player, and that he’s had problems with injuries in the past. I don’t feel quite that bad about letting this one get away.
Plus, his team lost. Take that.
Li Changyi
There’s another player I should introduce to you.
His name is Li Changyi, and he’s got the role of backup goalkeeper for us. He started that game against Qingdao, and managed to keep a clean sheet in the process.
We brought him in during that January transfer window, as one of the 100+ players that I managed to slip into the doors. He’s got an okay personality, but has great skill and excellent potential.
We purchased him from San Fernando in Spain for 480,000 RMB. They got him off Brea, who in turn purchased him from Huesca. That’s quite a bit of traveling for a kid who is only 19 years old.
He’s not as good as Liu Shaoziyang, who is arguably the best young Chinese goalkeeper in the world (and who recently earned his first full international start). Both are 19. Both are excellent assets, though. It will be interesting to see who develops faster.
We’ll probably start Li Changyi in cup matches next year.
Young Player of the Year
22-year-old Frenchman Paul Wade might wind up winning the young player of the year award.
When the season started, I thought Kwon Hyeok-Kyu was clearly our best defensive midfielder. Wade has been nothing short of sensational, though, and winds up earning the starting role week in, week out.
None of our other players are in the running, which I consider a bit strange. Luciano Parra is 2 years younger and is currently leading the league in scoring.
I guess that’s why I don’t make these decisions.
Dalian Shide
We go off to Dalian for our next match.
We’re going to win this one without any problems at all. At least we should. I worry about complacency.
Please note that you can find the latest standings and selected statistics on this splash page.