Zheng Zhi encounters Harbor again, every glance filled with stories.

Report by Wang Wei On March 8th afternoon, Qingdao West Coast lost 0-2 away to Zhejiang Team. As the head coach of West Coast, Zheng Zhi returned to the Chinese Super League after four years, regrettably suffering his first defeat.

There is little time left for Zheng Zhi to adjust. In the second round of the league, West Coast will challenge the defending champion Shanghai Harbor away. Harbor lost unexpectedly to Henan in their first home game and will certainly counterattack fiercely next time. For Zheng Zhi, this match is exceptionally challenging. Meanwhile, during the era of golden-dollar football, whether as a player or a coach, Zheng Zhi has engaged in fierce clashes with Harbor Team in both league and AFC Champions League matches. These past encounters also make Zheng Zhi's renewed face-off with Harbor more noteworthy.

In the final round of the 2021 Chinese Super League championship group, Guangzhou Team lost 0-1 to Shanghai Harbor, watching Harbor secure the league runner-up that season, while Guangzhou only achieved third place. Zheng Zhi was coaching Guangzhou Team at that time.

That match saw both sides fiercely contested. Harbor Team led 1-0 with a goal from Liu Zhurun. Guangzhou Team obtained a penalty during the final added time, but Zhang Linpeng, who took the shot, failed to score, resulting in Guangzhou's regrettable loss. As the team's head coach, Zheng Zhi did not blame Zhang Linpeng at that time, stating that this was simply part of football. After that season's Super League concluded, Zhang Linpeng transferred from Guangzhou Team to join Shanghai Harbor.

After that match ended, then Harbor Team head coach Leković特意 walked to the Guangzhou Team locker room door after the press conference and exchanged words with Guangzhou Team coach Zheng Zhi. "I really admire your playing style. I wish you success and continuous improvement in your coaching career." Now, over four years later, Leković has long left the Chinese Super League, while Zheng Zhi, as the head coach of Qingdao West Coast, once again stands before Shanghai Harbor.

It is worth mentioning that in that final round match against Harbor, Zheng Zhi, Huang Bowen, and Mei Fang were all seated on the team's substitute bench. Now, these three are all members of Qingdao West Coast Team's coaching staff, still sitting on the substitute bench, evoking a sense of timelessness. Moreover, Zheng Zhi's former Guangzhou Team comrade Sun Xiang is already part of Harbor Club's management, while Zhang Linpeng remains a Harbor player. Next, these distinguished contributors of Guangzhou football will reunite on the field in different roles.

During his playing days, Zheng Zhi also shared many memories with Shanghai Harbor. Guangzhou Team and Harbor Team were championship rivals in the Super League, always battling fiercely on the field with intense competition and strong confrontations between players. In the 28th round of the Chinese Super League in November 2019, Guangzhou Team faced Shanghai Harbor. At that time, 39-year-old Zheng Zhi and 27-year-old Li Shenglong had physical contact during the match. Guangzhou was leading 1-0, and Harbor was fiercely counterattacking. Player Li Shenglong, after a high-speed breakthrough on the right flank, accidentally collided with Zheng Zhi who slid in. The subsequent moment became a "famous scene" in the Super League and an epitome of the intense rivalry between the two top clubs: Li Sheng龙 suddenly stood up and grabbed Zheng Zhi's neck, and Zheng Zhi instantly reacted with anger, responding similarly, causing the situation to become extremely tense...

Time can fade many grievances, but some memories remain deeply embedded. When Zheng Zhi faces Harbor again, it is destined not to be a simple match.

Although in his first Super League match coaching West Coast, the team played somewhat passively and ultimately lost 0-2 to Zhejiang Team, Zheng Zhi's lineup arrangement still had notable highlights.

In this match, Zheng Zhi安排 young player Yang Zhanpeng to start. Yang is only 18 years old, a player from Guangzhou, formerly part of Guangzhou City's youth梯队. In 2025, he represented Guangdong U18 men's football as a key player in the 15th National Games, ultimately winning a bronze medal. Yang Zhanpeng is currently also a university student. In 2025, he enrolled in Zhejiang Normal University from Guangzhou and was selected for the U19 national youth team. After representing Guangdong Team in the National Games last year, Yang Zhanpeng also represented Guangzhou Huangpu Marsico Team in Guangzhou City Football League, helping the team win the championship. Starting a young player who recently participated in amateur league matches in a top-tier professional league demonstrates Zheng Zhi's boldness.

Additionally, the starting goalkeeper Li Hao arranged by Zheng Zhi in this match is also a player developed in Guangzhou. The starting边后卫 He Longhai was developed from Dongguan, and substitute player Ai Feierding also comes from Guangzhou Team. West Coast Team has many Guangdong elements. Zheng Zhi能够 withstand pressure and appoint talents without avoiding familiarity is同样 remarkable.

After losing to Zhejiang Team, Zheng Zhi acknowledged the players' efforts and拼搏: "This result is regrettable for us. We created many opportunities, and both sides presented an exciting match. The team has many new players and youngsters; this was their first match. Several foreign players also played their first match, so we need to quickly find the rhythm of the game."

Next, facing Shanghai Harbor is another tough battle. Whether they can withstand pressure at Shanghai Bund and achieve a desirable outcome will test Zheng Zhi and his coaching team's capabilities.