“First Year in the Chinese Super League, Score 20 Goals”—Zhejiang’s New Signing Guarirapa’s Small Target!

Written by Zuo Rui Three days later, reflecting on his debut in the Chinese Super League, Saúl Guarirapa still felt “fantastic.” Scoring his first goal in his debut appearance and helping the team secure its first victory of the new season—for this new foreign player of Zhejiang Greentown, nothing could be more delightful. He hopes this goal will serve as a good start, becoming “a positive beginning for many more goals in the future.”

In the match against Qingdao West Coast on the afternoon of the 8th, in the 17th minute, Mitrić delivered a pass, and Guarirapa scored with a one-on-one opportunity. This goal ignited a wave of excitement at Huanglong Sports Center and relieved the pressure on Zhejiang Greentown’s coaching staff—this team, starting the league with -5 points, had been preparing for this crucial home game for over two weeks.

Playing 74 minutes, besides scoring one goal, he also committed two fouls and received one yellow card due to executing a “more aggressive” new tactical approach. If the performance of this 23-year-old Venezuelan national team player in the first round brought great surprise to the 25,128 eagerly awaiting fans on-site, then the surprise created by Zhejiang fans also exceeded the expectations of the goal scorer himself.

In 2024, Guarirapa left the Venezuelan capital club Caracas FC and embarked on his first distant career journey to Russia. Later, whether at his signing club Sochi or during loan spells at CSKA Moscow and Sharjah in the UAE, he rarely experienced the home atmosphere he now encounters in Hangzhou. “I was amazed by the large number of fans attending, their cheers and shouts provided us with significant support.”

After leaving his homeland at the northernmost tip of South America, Guarirapa returned home only three times over two years. Last year, when he first represented the Venezuelan national team in an away match against the United States, that was the closest game to home. When the wanderer opened his goal account in Hangzhou, his family far away in South America was also thrilled for him. This exchange crossing the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean also stirred his longing for the “food and beaches” of his hometown, La Cruz.

Compared to Park Jin-seop and Torić, who signed three-year transfer contracts and joined Zhejiang FC together, this latest and youngest foreign addition to the team has greater room for improvement. Guarirapa is also full of anticipation for this third journey spanning Europe and Asia: “I hope to accept another challenge in my life to become a better version of myself.”

Before the season started, striker Guarirapa knew his job was to score goals, and he set his annual target at 20. “This is a challenging goal because I have never scored 20 goals in a single season before, so I want to challenge myself.” During his first overseas stint in 2024, he played 10 matches for Sochi in the Russian Premier League, scoring 8 goals and providing 1 assist, earning a transfer contract with remarkable efficiency. His performance in the Chinese Super League will determine his future path, and Zhejiang FC’s loan agreement also includes a buyout clause.

Currently, Guarirapa’s start looks promising. Besides the inspiring atmosphere of the new home ground, the club’s support conditions have greatly boosted his confidence. “The team’s base facilities and pitch conditions impressed me. Additionally, our medical team’s standards are very high.” He admitted that during his half-year stint in the Middle East, he rarely played and still needs more time to adapt to the rhythm and intensity of the Chinese Super League. After the first round, he believes “the overall intensity of the Chinese Super League is quite high.”

Reviewing the first victory of the new season, he thought the whole team performed very well, winning possession many times. Of course, there is still significant room for improvement. “Although the opponent didn’t score, we need to do better in controlling their counterattacks,” he said. “Additionally, we also need to improve in converting goal-scoring opportunities.”

During training, the new Australian head coach Ross Aloisi is driving efforts both in tactical play and mental attitude, repeatedly writing “resilience” in Chinese and English on a whiteboard to motivate the team. Ross’s efforts have begun to show initial results, but to achieve the team’s goal of entering the top tier of the Chinese Super League—similar to Guarirapa’s personal situation—higher efficiency in both attack and defense is essential.

This Saturday, facing Shanghai Shenhua in the second consecutive home match, Guarirapa knows this opponent is stronger and will undoubtedly bring more support from on-site fans. He said: “Our goal is certainly to defeat the opponent at home, which requires the effort of our entire team. We will do our utmost to bring joy to Zhejiang fans.”