Player Profile : Yan Xiangchuang

Yan Xiangchuang - 闫相闯

The vitals:

age - 22

position - midfield

number - 11

height - 174 cm

years with Guoan - 6

appearances - 94

goals - 15

The still very young Yan came to Beijing as a kid prodigy from the Army team (8/1). Originally from Dalian, Yan arrived in the capital as a 16 year old and made his debut the next season, appearing in 13 games and scoring 2 goals, an unbelievable start. Along with teammate Huang Bowen (a year older), Yan was (and still is) viewed as the future of the squad.

Yan's small in stature, but despite that, has a booming shot (just ask Changchun) that he can use from distance to challenge keepers. He's also incredibly fast and uses that speed to create scoring opportunities or open up space on the pitch. Like a lot of Guoan's current crop of players, he's adaptable, able to play as a forward, an attacking midfielder, or on the wing (which is where he's most often slotted). While he can play up top, his size and body mean that he is far more suited for the midfield.

He was one of the stars of China's miserable 2008 Olympic squad and has featured occasionally for the national team, many feel he will be a prominent member of the squad over the next few years. The national team's future depends heavily on how players like Yan continue to develop over the next 2-3 years.

In the meantime, Guoan's midfield heavy lineup has meant Yan's struggled to break in, though he's performed well when given the chance and after a strong showing in Australia and his 2 goal show in Changchun, we can expect to see him in the lineup more over the next few weeks.

Player Profile : Tao Wei

Tao Wei - 陶伟

The vitals:
age - 31
position - midfield
number - 15
height - 176 cm
years with Guoan - 11
appearances - 238
goals - 36

I feel a little sorry for Tao, who last night was in BTV's studio in Beijing providing commentary, trying to be optimistic and not attacking his teammates who looked utterly useless in the 1st half, knowing he was far away from the action and had no way of influencing the result that led his team with no hope to advance.

Anyways, Tao is another Beijinger who is also a lifelong Guoan player, though he's only come to real prominence over the past 3 or 4 seasons as a star. While he's always been a solid role player, in recent years, his flair and skills have been brought to the forefront, with him earning his first national team cap at the ripe old age of 26.

Tao played youth football in Beijing before joining the legendary Jianlibao youth team that traveled to Brazil in 1994. His Brazilian experience can be seen in the way he plays, possessing a creative streak and instinct rarely seen in Chinese footballers. His ability to improv on the pitch and make something out of nothing is why he's an exciting player who the fans have fully embraced.

He's also extremely adaptable, capable of playing in a number of positions on the pitch, depending on the squad's needs. He can play up top as a forward, but is often best slotted behind them in a support role. While he isn't the quickest player on the pitch, he's capable of handling wing play and, with a familiar central back like Xu Yunlong behind him, he can also fit into the holding midfield position.

Tao served as the side's captain last season and serves as one of Xu's deputies this year. He regularly handles corner and free kicks and is one of the better CSL players at challenging a keeper from distance.

Loyal, hardworking, with (more than) a bit of flair is why Tao Wei is a true Gongti Legend.

Player Profile : Joel Griffiths

Joel Griffiths

The vitals:

age - 29

position - forward

number - 29

height - 181 cm

years with Guoan - 1

appearances - 4

goals - 3

Griffiths (or 乔尔 - 格里菲斯 aka 大格）was one of Guoan's few off-season additions, along with his brother Ryan, and has instantly become a fan favorite, especially for his scoring our first goal of the season against the side that loaned him to us, Newcastle Jets. There is actually a bit of controversy over that as Guoan paid a $320,000 loan fee to Newcastle though the agreement expressly stated that Griffiths wouldn't be able to be used against them.

He's been an extremely prolific player in the A-League, scoring 76 goals in under 200 league matches. In 2007-2008, he won the A-League title with Newcastle, as well as earning himself the Golden Boot and being named the best player in Australia that year. He's spent some time playing in Europe and Japan and it was originally expected that he'd return to Newcastle and receive a very large salary when it was suddenly announced that he was headed to Beijing.

Griffiths made his Australia debut in 2005 in a match against Jamaica, however he has only made 3 appearances for the Socceroos over the years. His Guoan form is sure to get him a look or two from the national team coaching staff.

Griffiths has been a crucial attacker for the club, though his temper has got in the way a few times. He was shown a straight red card in the match against Changsha and is currently suspended for 5 matches for his frustration elbow in the Shandong game. He certainly is a dynamic player and has been critical to Guoan's attack. Some of his goals, in particular his diving header against Newcastle are highlight reel stuff and his nose for goal makes him a difference maker who we really want to see back in green soon.

Player Profile : Yang Zhi

Yang Zhi - 杨智

The vitals:
age - 25

position - goalkeeper

number - 22

height - 187 cm
years with Guoan - 5

appearances - 103


The only Guoan player other than Xu Yunlong who has appeared in every match so far this season is Yang Zhi. Since coming to Beijing on a transfer from Shenzhen, Yang has been a regular for Guoan, an ironman who is almost never out of the lineup.

Yang, originally from Guangzhou, came up in the Guangzhou youth team before moving to Shenzhen in 2002. He led the team to the 2004 CSL Championship and caught Beijing's attention and was brought to the capital. His time in Beijing has been good for Yang, success in the capital has led to a number of national team call-ups.

Yang's high flying style in the net is one of the only reasons Guoan is where they are right now in the league. If he gets a bit of help at the back, this team definitely has the potential to go a long way, but even without that, Yang is the kind of keeper that can carry a team.

Player Profile : Xu Yunlong

We're starting a new series here giving foreign fans an introduction to the player's Guoan fields week in, week out. The first choice is an incredibly easy one, as Xu Yunlong isn't only this season's team captain, but has been an integral part of the squad since he first came up in 1998.

Xu Yunlong - 徐云龙

The vitals:

age - 30

position - center back

number - 13

height - 181 cm

years with Guoan - 11

appearances - 153

goals - 22

Born and bred in Beijing, Xu Yunlong is Guoan through and through. He's an extremely versatile player who has played virtually every position on the field (except keeper), but is most comfortable as a defender, typically at center back. He started out with the youth team at the age of 14 and has been a part of Guoan ever since. His "unlucky" 13 has been one of the few consistents for Guoan over the past 10 years.

While he's never been known as an incredibly speedy player, he is creative and versatile (as mentioned above). Over the past few seasons, he's developed into an absolute shut down central back, but he also is skilled enough to go up and get involved in the offense, especially on corners and free kicks. He's already demonstrated his offensive prowess with his goal earlier this season.

Xu's regularly featured in the national team, since being brought up by Bora in 2000, and used to be part of Beijing's 3 pronged attack on the national team and Guoan, which included Yang Chen and Yang Pu.

Like Stevie Gerrard for Liverpool and Paolo Maldini at Milan, Xu is the heart of this Guoan team. He's been extremely loyal, even when bigger or better offers have come his way, he's always stayed in Beijing. Even in his younger days, Xu's fierce play and enthusiasm made him an instant leader, but now that he's a veteran, he's able to take an even greater role as mentor for younger players like Huang Bowen and Yan Xiangchuang as they develop.

Of all the Guoan players, Xu is truly a "Gongti Legend".