Zeng Cheng

Zeng Cheng
曾诚
Personal information
Full name Zeng Cheng
Date of birth (1987-01-08) 8 January 1987
Place of birth Wuhan, Hubei, China
Height 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Playing position Goalkeeper
Club information
Current team
 Guangzhou Evergrande
Number 19
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2005–2008 Wuhan Guanggu 21 (0)
2005 → Persebaya (loan) 35 (0)
2009–2012 Henan Jianye 100 (0)
2013– Guangzhou Evergrande 122 (0)
National team‡
2009– China 39 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 10 August 2017.
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 10 August 2017

Zeng Cheng (simplified Chinese: 曾诚; traditional Chinese: 曾誠; pinyin: Zēng Chéng; born 8 January 1987) is a Chinese footballer who currently plays for Guangzhou Evergrande in the Chinese Super League.

Club career

Zeng Cheng started his football career at top tier side Wuhan Guanggu; however, he was soon loaned out to Indonesia Super League side Persebaya for more playing time at the beginning of the 2005 season. On his return to Wuhan, he would be allowed to make his league debut at the end of the league season on 5 November 2005 in a 1-1 draw against Shanghai Shenhua.[1] For several seasons, Zeng would play understudy to Deng Xiaofei until Wuhan quit the league and were subsequently relegated in the 2008 season after the club's management did not accept the punishment given to them by the Chinese Football Association after a scuffle broke out during a league game against Beijing Guoan on 27 September 2008.[2]

At the beginning of the 2009 season, Zeng transferred to another top tier side Henan Jianye where he established himself as the first-choice goalkeeper ahead of Zhou Yajun.[3] The move turned out to be a big success and the club would finish in it highest ever position of third place in the league and qualify for the AFC Champions League for the first time in the club's history.[4]

On 1 January 2013, along with Zhao Peng and Yi Teng, Zeng successfully transferred to two-time, back-to-back Chinese Super League champions Guangzhou Evergrande on a free transfer.[5] During the 2013 season, Zeng established himself as Guangzhou's first-choice goalkeeper due to impressive displays which impressed manager Marcello Lippi. At the end of the season, Lippi credited Zeng as "one of Guangzhou's best buys." Zeng finished the 2013 season only conceding 16 goals and kept 13 clean sheets in 27 matches in the league. He was an important cog in what was considered absolute dominance by Guangzhou during the group and knockout stages of the AFC Champions League that season. On 9 November 2013, Zeng won the continental title with the club, winning the finals against FC Seoul in a two-legged tie which ended with them winning on away goals.

On 6 September 2016, Zeng suffered a rupture of posterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during a 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification match against Iran, ruling him out for the rest of the 2016 season.[6] He played 23 league matches and kept 10 clean sheets in the 2016 season as he was awarded with the Chinese Football Association Goalkeeper of The Year award for the third time in November 2016.[7]

International career

Due to his impressive performances at the beginning of the 2009 season, Zeng was called up to the Chinese national team by then manager Gao Hongbo. He made his debut against Iran in a friendly which China won 1-0 on 1 June 2009.[8] After that game, he would become the national team's second choice goalkeeper behind Yang Zhi and be included in the squad that won the 2010 East Asian Football Championship before being included in the 2011 AFC Asian Cup squad.

Career statistics

Club statistics

As of 10 August 2017 [9]
Club performance League Cup League Cup Continental Others Total
Season Club League Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
China PR League FA Cup CSL Cup Asia Others Total
2005Wuhan GuangguChinese Super League100000--10
Indonesia League Piala Indonesia League Cup Asia Others Total
2005PersebayaIndonesia Super League35000-60-410
China PR League FA Cup CSL Cup Asia Others1 Total
2006Wuhan GuangguChinese Super League12000---120
200770----70
200810----10
2009Henan Jianye240----240
2010230--60-290
201126000---260
201227000---270
2013Guangzhou Evergrande27040-14030480
201426000-10000360
201525000-11010370
201623050-5010340
201721000-8010300
Total China PR 24309000540603120
Indonesia 35000006000410
Career total 27809000600603530

1Other tournaments include Chinese FA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup.

International statistics

National team
YearAppsGoals
200930
201060
201120
201250
201390
201450
201510
201650
201730
Total390

Honours

Club

Wuhan Guanggu

Guangzhou Evergrande

International

China PR national football team

Individual

References

  1. ↑ "武汉青年军客场爆冷 申花战平黑马夺取亚军　评". sports.sohu.com. 5 November 2005. Retrieved 19 September 2012.
  2. ↑ "Wuhan ejected from soccer league – People's Daily Online". English.people.com.cn. 10 November 2008. Retrieved 19 September 2012.
  3. ↑ "内托奥利萨德贝轰双响炮 中超揭幕战河南2–1广州". sports.sina.com.cn. 21 March 2009. Retrieved 19 September 2012.
  4. ↑ "China 2009". rsssf.com. 23 April 2010. Archived from the original on 15 October 2012. Retrieved 19 September 2012.
  5. ↑ "曾诚、赵鹏、弋腾正式加盟广州恒大". gzevergrandefc.com. 1 January 2013. Archived from the original on 15 January 2013. Retrieved 1 January 2013.
  6. ↑ "重伤！曾诚韧带断裂赛季报销 康复时间6-8个月". Sohu. 7 September 2016. Retrieved 19 September 2016.
  7. ↑ "2016中超颁奖：高拉特金球金靴 恒大狂揽九奖项". Sohu. 5 November 2016. Retrieved 12 January 2017.
  8. ↑ "郜林补射绝杀高家军迎来首胜 中国队1–0胜伊朗". teamchina.sports.sohu.com. 1 June 2009. Retrieved 19 September 2012.
  9. ↑ "曾诚". sodasoccer (in Chinese).
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