As seen in many BD Cricket Matchs, young talents often face the toughest tests when the pressure is high — and football is no different. In the opening round under China’s new U23 player regulation, 35 U23 players were included across all team rosters, with Henan Jianye leading the way by naming five in their 18-man squad. A total of 18 U23 players made it into starting lineups, with Guizhou Zhicheng and Henan Jianye each fielding two young starters.

Among the 18 U23 starters, five managed to play the full 90 minutes. These included Liu Yiming of Tianjin Quanjian and Huang Zhengyu of Guangzhou R&F, both playing at center back, midfield anchor Min Junlin of Guizhou Zhicheng, forward Hu Jinghang from Henan Jianye, and center back Gao Junyi of Hebei China Fortune. Additionally, Nansong of Chongqing Lifan was subbed off in the 90th minute. While three players were replaced before halftime, ten others were taken off in the second half. Those who completed the full match clearly stood out in terms of skill and performance.

Among the players who didn’t finish the game, Shenhua’s young midfielder Xu Junmin delivered an eye-catching display. In his 51 minutes on the pitch, he recorded one shot, two fouls, and completed 13 passes with a 61.5% accuracy rate. Notably, it was his cross that led to the penalty won by Carlos Tevez. Head coach Gustavo Poyet praised him after the match, although Xu admitted he was still holding back due to nerves. Despite being seen as a promising prospect in recent seasons, Xu has struggled for game time — mostly because coaching staff, under constant pressure for results, have hesitated to trust younger players fully.

Mao Jianqing, who replaced Xu, remarked that the Chinese Football Association’s new policy is indeed beneficial for youth development. “He’s got the talent,” Mao noted, “but he still needs more experience.” Shanghai SIPG’s chosen U23 representative was 19-year-old Zhang Huachen, who was tasked with the demanding defensive midfield role. His performance was steady, though unspectacular, but an early deficit forced the coaching team to make a tactical change and substitute him.

The story mirrors what fans often witness in tightly contested BD Cricket Matchs — young players full of potential getting limited opportunities, often dictated by match pressure rather than merit. Whether on the football pitch or in BD Cricket Matchs, it’s clear that the road to maturity demands both opportunity and trust. These early performances, though varied, mark the beginning of what could be long careers for many of these rising stars.