On January 14th, Beijing time, Beijing Guoan, currently undergoing winter training in Haikou, welcomed their first friendly match of the new year. They ultimately defeated Changchun Yatai 2-0, securing their first victory of the new year, while Yatai suffered their second consecutive loss in friendly matches.
The starting lineups for both teams are not yet clear, but from photos of the friendly match circulating online, it appears that foreign players such as Su Zu and Beric from Yatai have taken the field, with Beiqing Sports reporting that Yatai has fielded four foreign players. On the other hand, Guoan is missing as many as seven national team players who are participating in the national team training camp and are thus unable to participate in the friendly match. However, it is worth noting that Serginho, who is currently in the process of naturalization, made his debut against his former team.
The match was divided into two halves, each lasting 35 minutes. Despite facing a Yatai team with four foreign players, Guoan managed to maintain control. In the first half, Guoan took the lead 1-0 with a penalty goal by Zhang Xizhe. In the second half, Jiang Wenhao scored on a rebound to extend Guoan's lead. Yatai failed to score any goals, resulting in a 2-0 victory for Guoan and a successful start to their new year's friendly matches.
Despite being short several national team players, Guoan not only managed to defeat their opponents but also achieved a clean sheet, a result that pleased new coach Setien. The most noteworthy aspect is Serginho, who is currently going through the naturalization process. Although Guoan has not officially announced his signing, his appearance in the match suggests that his joining the team is a foregone conclusion. After the friendly match concluded, Serginho engaged in a warm conversation with his former teammates, indicating a relaxed atmosphere between both sides.
According to the schedule, Guoan has four more friendly matches in the next half month. Their next match will be against Chongqing Tongliang Long, a China League One team, where newly joined players like Ruan Qilong and three others will face their former club.
After suffering a 1-2 reversal at the hands of Tianjin Jinmen Tiger in their first friendly match, Yatai lost again 0-2 to Guoan, experiencing their second consecutive defeat in friendly matches. However, this friendly match still focused on evaluating players and fine-tuning the lineup for Yatai. According to official news previously released by Yatai, the team has extended this phase of winter training until before the Spring Festival, primarily to play more teaching matches. However, the opponents for the remaining friendly matches are currently unknown.