Questioned a Year Ago for Not Being Able to Play in the CSL, He Is Now a Top Domestic Full-Back! China's Own Cucurella Rises_Mao Weijie_Dalian_Match

In the 26th round of the 2026 Chinese Super League season, Dalian Yingbo defeated Qingdao Hainiu 2-1 at home, with the team successfully climbing to second place in the league standings. What is impressive is that Dalian's football market has indeed been exciting. On that day, Barracuda Bay Football Stadium attracted 62,388 fans, making it worthy of being called the newly recognized top home venue in Asia. Such high attendance and an active football atmosphere mean that national team matches would ideally also be arranged here. The stadium not only has excellent facilities but also gathers a large number of passionate supporters, creating an outstanding home atmosphere and putting significant psychological pressure on visiting teams. Currently, Dalian Yingbo's home win rate leads the entire CSL, with nine wins, one draw, and three losses in their first 13 home matches, a record made possible by strong fan support. For visiting teams, facing the cheers and boos of more than 60,000 fans here is indeed a major challenge.

Returning to the match itself, Dalian Yingbo broke the deadlock through Stanciu in the 10th minute, while Qingdao Hainiu equalized through Ye Boya in the 23rd minute. Then in the 45th minute, Luo Jing scored again for Dalian Yingbo after receiving an assist from Mao Weijie, securing the final 2-1 victory. After this match, Dalian Yingbo's points tally moved them up to second place, two points ahead of third-placed Beijing Guoan. Qingdao Hainiu remained at the bottom of the table, already six points behind Wuhan Three Towns, and the relegation suspense seemed to have largely disappeared.

Beyond the impressive results, the biggest highlight of this season has been the all-around breakout of 'Prince' Mao Weijie. His rapid improvement is attributed to finding the position that suits him best. When Dalian Yingbo were newly promoted to the CSL last year, Mao Weijie's performances as a forward were relatively disappointing, as he clearly struggled to adapt to the physicality and pace of the league. After a season of adjustment, he recorded only one goal and one assist, leading many fans to believe he might not have reached CSL level.

After entering the 2026 season, the head coach made a crucial decision that changed Mao Weijie's career trajectory — moving him to the full-back position. This change allowed Mao's potential to be fully realized. He has started all 22 matches this season, accumulating 1,869 minutes of playing time, twice as much as last season. He has already recorded two goals and three assists, clearly surpassing last year's performance.

Although Mao Weijie is only 1.75 meters tall and weighs around 65 kilograms, appearing physically slight, this has not affected his ability as a defensive wide player. This season, he has made 80 tackles, ranking second in the league, and contributed 69 clearances, demonstrating excellent positioning ability and decisive tackling speed. At the same time, his background as a forward gives him unique advantages in attack, and his ability to participate in build-up play and offense has been impressive. Today, Mao Weijie has become one of the strongest left-backs, and his overall attacking and defensive qualities have led fans to affectionately call him 'China's own Cucurella.' Barring unexpected circumstances, Mao Weijie is likely to become a strong contender for China's national team left-back position over the next decade!