In the first four rounds of the new season of the Chinese Super League, facing two promoted teams and two teams in the relegation group last season, Guoan won 2, drew 1 and lost 1, from the result to the scene can not be satisfactory. Nigerian striker Ade benro, a new signing who has joined the team this season, has been fruitless in four games.
Affected by the FA's salary restriction policy and the general environment this season, all clubs have had to shrink their expenses. Guoan has also shifted its target from the five major leagues to the less influential European leagues, and compared with the previous famous players such as Bakambu, Ilmaz and Vieira, Adebenro from Nigeria is much less famous.
Adebenro made his debut in Europe at the age of 20, joining the Norwegian Premier League team Vikings. The Nordic League is a springboard for Nigerian and African players who have proven their foreign aid either to go to the big five leagues or to come to China to pan for gold.
In his three seasons with the Vikings, Adebenro scored 14 goals. His performance was favored by Norwegian giants Rosenborg and was recruited. But while playing for Rosenborg, Adebenro suffered a serious injury that affected his performance. Adebenro left Norway last year to move to Swedish Premier League side Norrköping.
Adebenro made his debut as a winger and excelled at flank assaults, especially on the left. Last season at Norrköping, he shined in the centre position, scoring 17 goals in 30 league games and providing two assists, becoming the Golden Boot of the Swiss Super League.
This season, Guoan has brought in two foreign strikers, in addition to Adebenro, and D'Abro from Croatia. Since Dabro arrived in China late, he joined the team after contact isolation and joined the team at the end of May, so after the start of the league, Adebenro occupied a starting forward position in Guoan.
In the first four rounds of the league, Guoan played 352 in the first two games, and the last two games were changed to 442. In these four games, Guoan's forward partner has not changed, and Zhang Yuning and Adebenro have formed a combination of one high and one fast. In the first four rounds, Guoan scored 7 goals, of which Zhang Yuning scored 3 goals, and in the last round with Tianjin, Dabro came off the bench to complete the kill. Adebenro, on the other hand, did not receive any grain and gave his opponent a penalty in the first round of the match against the Cangzhou Lions.
In the first game against the Cangzhou Lions, Guoan's overall performance was sluggish, and Adebenro was one of Guoan's best performers and one of the few highlights on the field. Despite his debut in an official competition, he ran with all his might and used his body and speed to tear apart the opposing defence.
In the second rain battle with Chengdu Rongcheng, and the third game with Tianjin Jinmen Tiger, Adebenro's presence is not strong. In the fourth game against the promoted Mameizhou Hakka, Zhang Yuning scored twice in the first half, and Adebenro was one of the most active players in the front.
In the seventh minute of the game, Guoan counterattacked, Adebenro took the ball in the middle of the road to send a straight plug, Liu Guobo was put down by Yang Ultrasound in front of the penalty area when forming a single knife, and the latter received a yellow card. In the 36th minute, Memisevic was delivered in front of the penalty area, and Zhang Yuning's shot was blocked by the Meizhou Hakka defender, missing the opportunity to make a hat-trick. Adebenro, who was unguarded near the penalty spot in the middle, expressed his helplessness for not receiving the ball.
In the 40th minute, Zhang Yuning made the ball to Adebenro, who did not stop the ball to send an assist, and Chi Zhongguo, who was inserted in the back row, was brought down from behind by Yang Chaosheng in front of the penalty area, who was sent off with a red card for the second yellow card. In the 44th minute, Adebenro carried the ball on his back in the middle of the road and handed it to Zhang Yuning, who was assigned to Liu Guobo on the side, who entered the box to form a threat.
In a backcourt scramble in the first half, Adebellola injured his thigh. Less than a minute into the second half, when Adebenro received Zhang Yuning in front of the field, he was injured again, unable to hold on to the game, and was replaced.
Although he did not score goals, throughout the first four games, Adebenro was in good form. Although he is not a head-to-head master facing the goal, his own ball, protection and ball making can pose a threat in the front, and his 1-on-1 counterattack also put pressure on the opponent's defenders.
Adebenro's ability to develop depth on the field can also grab points at the No. 9 position. In the first four games, Adebenro did not get many shots on goal. And the cooperation between him and Zhang Yuning does not seem to have called, and there is less connection between the two, and there is not enough tacit understanding. In future games, what role Adebenro plays in tactics, and whether the position needs to be adjusted, will require head coach Xie Feng to use his brain.
Although the scoring account has not yet been opened, Adebenro's ability and performance are by no means a parallel cargo. Before the season began, Adebenro said he wanted to follow Bakambu's trajectory and score more goals for the team. But for now, what he has to do is to integrate into the team's system first. It may only be a matter of time before the goal is broken.