Gao Lin
Gao Lin with China at the 2019 AFC Asian Cup
Personal information
Full name Gao Lin
Date of birth (1986-02-14) 14 February 1986 (age 38)
Place of birth Zhengzhou, Henan, China
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)[1]
Position(s) Forward
Youth career
1999–2001 Qinhuangdao Football School
2001–2004 Shanghai Shenhua
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2005–2009 Shanghai Shenhua 71 (14)
2010–2019 Guangzhou Evergrande 259 (93)
2020–2023 Shenzhen 58 (13)
International career‡
2004–2005 China U-20
2006–2008 China U-23
2005–2019 China 109 (22)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 12 July 2023
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 24 January 2019
Gao Lin
Chinese郜林

Gao Lin (Chinese: 郜林; pinyin: Gào Lín; Mandarin pronunciation: [kâʊ lǐn] ⓘ born 14 February 1986) is a Chinese professional footballer who plays as a forward.

He is the all-time top goalscorer for Guangzhou Evergrande with 113 goals, and has also made the most appearances for the club. Gao is considered one of China's most technical strikers and is known by the nickname Gao Linsmann (Chinese: 郜林斯曼; pinyin: Gàolínsīmàn; [kâʊ lǐn sɹ̩́ mân] ⓘ).

Club career

Shanghai Shenhua

Gao Lin started his football career with Shanghai Shenhua in 2005 where he made his league debut on 21 August 2005 in a 1–0 win against Liaoning Zhongyu, coming on as a substitute for Xie Hui.[2] While his height and heading ability were quickly utilized, Gao was unable to establish himself as an immediate first team regular within the team throughout the subsequent seasons and often found himself playing on the flanks. It was only once Xie left Shanghai at the end of the 2007 league season before Gao started to really establish himself as a regular first team member, playing as striker once more. In the 2008 season, he would score eight goals in 21 league appearances to help guide Shanghai to a runners-up position.[3]

Despite having his most productive season with Shanghai and establishing himself within the Chinese national team. Gao's contract was up for renewal and his club would transfer list him in early 2009. This saw him linked with his hometown club of Henan Construction as well as K-League club Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors; however, nothing materialized from these rumours after Gao decided to eventually stay at the club when it was announced that Shanghai and Gao had come to terms about a contract renewal which would expire in 2012.[4]

Guangzhou Evergrande

Gao in his debut match for Guangzhou Evergrande in 2010.

On 10 March 2010, Gao transferred to Guangzhou Evergrande, who were newly relegated to China League One in the fallout of a match-fixing scandal. However, the club's new owners, Evergrande Real Estate Group, were able to tempt Gao with a lucrative 3,000,000 yuan a year deal to play within the second tier.[5] He made his debut for the club on 3 April 2010 in a 3–1 against Beijing BIT, also scoring his first two goals for the club.[6] On 30 October 2010, Guangzhou successfully finished as second tier champions for the second time with a 3–1 win against Hunan Billows. Gao's first half hat-trick in this match ensured that he finished the season as the second tier top goalscorer, having scored 20 goals.

Although Guangzhou signed several players to strengthened the team's attacking power including Darío Conca and Cléo in the 2011 season, Gao was still a regular in the team, playing mostly as a left winger and scoring 11 goals in 29 appearances. Guangzhou eventually won the top tier league title for the first time in the club's history as Gao won his first top tier league title with the club.

Gao scored his first goal of the season on 15 May 2012 in a 2–1 win against Buriram United in the 2012 AFC Champions League, ending a goal drought that stretched 1403 minutes.[7] On 20 May 2012, he scored his first league goal of the season in a 1–0 win against Qingdao Jonoon which ended a run of 936 minutes without a goal in the league.[8] On 27 October 2012, Gao scored the decisive goal, assisted by Conca, in injury time in a 1–0 win against Liaoning Whowin to give Guangzhou their second top tier league title and they became the first team ever in the league's history to defend the title.[9]

In the first leg of the 2012 Chinese FA Cup final, Gao received two yellow cards in less than three minutes at the start of the 80th minute. The first yellow card was for dissent on a questionable tackle. The second one came after protesting and dissent which earned him a red card and suspended him from playing in the second leg. On 12 November 2012, Gao was fined by the CFA for $200,000 for his actions in the first leg of the final.[10] Later, Gao took to Weibo to publicly apologize to his millions of followers and said he "deserved to be punished" because it will help him "to not do it again in the future".[11] Later in November 2012, he was selected as one of the two forwards in the 2012 Chinese Super League Team of the Year alongside Cristian Dănălache of Jiangsu Sainty.

During the 2013 season, his role shifted from an attacking role to an assister as he provided many assists to the foreign contingent of Elkeson, Dario Conca and Muriqui. Throughout both the 2013 season and 2013 AFC Champions League, his style of play included more flair as he attempted bicycle kicks and back-heel passes which many plaudits lauded. Gao was a cog in the engine of Guangzhou as he helped it through its golden year to win its third successive top tier league title. In the league-winning game, he scored the third goal for the club on 6 October 2013 in a 4–2 win against Shandong Luneng. This was the second time in which Gao has scored in a league-winning game.

Shenzhen F.C.

On 24 February 2020, Gao signed for Shenzhen F.C. on a free transfer. He made his debutt and scored his first goal for the club on 26 July 2020 in 3–0 win against Guangzhou R&F.[12]

International career

Gao during a match for China in 2016.

Gao was part of the squad in the 2008 Summer Olympics where he played in all three group games and started in the first two games as the Chinese under-23 national team were knocked out in the group stage.[13]

Gao made his debut for the Chinese national team against South Korea on 31 July 2005 in the 2005 East Asian Football Championship where he was sent off mistakenly by referee Yuichi Nishimura; The East Asian Football Federation cancelled Gao's red card and apologized to him the next day.[14] After that inauspicious start to his international career, Gao started to impose himself within the team, and despite making his debut in 2005 for the national team, Gao had to wait until 21 January 2009 to score his first goal in a 6–1 win against Vietnam during 2011 AFC Asian Cup qualification, scoring a hat-trick.[15]

Gao scored in a 3–0 win against South Korea during the 2010 East Asian Football Championship, helping China beat South Korea for the first time ever. Gao captained the national team for the first time on 22 February 2012 in a 2–0 win against Kuwait. On 10 September 2018, Gao won his 100th cap for China in a 0–0 draw against Bahrain, making him the fifth Chinese man to win 100 caps.[16]

Personal life

Gao married Wang Chen, who is a reporter and host for Shenzhen Media Group, on 3 September 2013.[17] Gao's childhood idol is the revered German striker Jürgen Klinsmann. He prefers to wear the kit number 18 while playing for the Chinese national team in honour of Klinsmann. While at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, he wore the kit number 9, which was also worn by Klinsmann during the 1998 Seoul Olympics.[18]

Career statistics

Club statistics

As of 31 December 2022[19]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup League cup Continental Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Shanghai Shenhua 2005 Chinese Super League 5 0 1 0 0 0 — — 6 0
2006 14 2 2 0 - 4 5 — 20 7
2007 12 0 — - 6 1 1[a] 0 21 1
2008 21 8 — — — — 21 8
2009 19 4 — - 0 0 — 19 4
Total 71 14 3 0 0 0 10 6 1 0 85 20
Guangzhou Evergrande 2010 China League One 23 20 — — — — 23 20
2011 Chinese Super League 29 11 2 0 — — — 31 11
2012 24 6 3 0 — 9 2 1[b] 0 37 8
2013 28 8 5 1 — 13 3 4[c] 0 50 12
2014 28 8 2 0 — 8 3 0 0 38 11
2015 25 13 0 0 — 11 1 4[c] 0 40 14
2016 28 7 7 3 — 6 2 0 0 41 12
2017 29 9 4 3 — 10 0 1[b] 0 44 12
2018 28 10 0 0 — 7 0 1[b] 1 36 11
2019 17 1 2 1 — 10 0 — 29 2
Total 259 93 25 8 0 0 74 11 11 1 369 113
Shenzhen 2020 Chinese Super League 17 6 0 0 — — — 17 6
2021 21 3 1 1 — — — 22 4
2022 20 4 0 0 — — — 20 4
2023 0 0 0 0 — — — 0 0
Total 58 13 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 59 14
Career total 388 120 29 9 0 0 84 17 12 1 513 147
  1. ^ Appearances in A3 Champions Cup
  2. ^ a b c Appearances in Chinese FA Super Cup
  3. ^ a b One appearance in Chinese FA Super Cup, Three appearances in FIFA Club World Cup

International statistics

National team
Year Apps Goals
2005 4 0
2006 4 0
2007 0 0
2008 8 0
2009 14 6
2010 11 2
2011 10 5
2012 7 3
2013 11 0
2014 9 2
2015 7 0
2016 5 0
2017 7 2
2018 7 1
2019 5 1
Total 109 22

International goals

As of 20 January 2019[20]
Scores and results list China's goal tally first.
# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 21 January 2009 Yellow Dragon Sports Center, Hangzhou, China  Vietnam 1–0 6–1 2011 AFC Asian Cup qualification
2 2–1
3 6–1
4 1 June 2009 Olympic Sports Center Stadium, Qinhuangdao, China  Iran 1–0 1–0 Friendly
5 18 July 2009 TEDA Football Stadium, Tianjin, China State of Palestine Palestine 2–0 3–1 Friendly
6 30 September 2009 Hohhot City Stadium, Hohhot, China  Botswana 1–0 4–1 Friendly
7 10 February 2010 Ajinomoto Stadium, Tokyo, Japan  South Korea 2–0 3–0 2010 EAFF Championship
8 7 September 2010 Olympic Sports Centre, Nanjing, China  Paraguay 1–1 1–1 Friendly
9 26 March 2011 Estadio Nacional, San José, Costa Rica  Costa Rica 1–2 2–2 Friendly
10 2–2
11 5 June 2011 Tuodong Stadium, Kunming, China  Uzbekistan 1–0 1–0 Friendly
12 8 June 2011 Olympic Sports Center, Guiyang, China  North Korea 2–0 2–0 Friendly
13 6 October 2011 Universiade Sports Centre, Shenzhen, China  United Arab Emirates 2–0 2–1 Friendly
22 February 2012 Helong Stadium, Changsha, China  Kuwait 1–0 2–0 Friendly1
14 8 June 2012 Wuhan Sports Center Stadium, Wuhan, China  Vietnam 1–0 3–0 Friendly
15 3–0
16 15 August 2012 Shaanxi Province Stadium, Xi'an, China  Ghana 1–0 1–1 Friendly
17 29 June 2014 Bao'an Stadium, Shenzhen, China  Mali 1–2 1–3 Friendly
18 9 September 2014 Harbin Sports City Center Stadium, Harbin, China  Jordan 1–0 1–1 Friendly
17 December 2014 Evergrande Football Base, Qingyuan, China  Kyrgyzstan 1–0 2–0 Friendly1
19 13 June 2017 Hang Jebat Stadium, Krubong, Malaysia  Syria 1–1 2–2 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
20 31 August 2017 Wuhan Sports Center Stadium, Wuhan, China  Uzbekistan 1–0 1–0 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
21 16 October 2018 Olympic Sports Centre, Nanjing, China  Syria 1–0 2–0 Friendly
22 20 January 2019 Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates  Thailand 2–1 2–1 2019 AFC Asian Cup
1:Non FIFA 'A' international match

Honours

Club

Shanghai Shenhua

Guangzhou Evergrande[21]

International

China PR national football team

Individual

See also

References

  1. ^ "Geo Lin" (in Chinese). Shenzhen F.C. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
  2. ^ "比赛结果 申花SVA 1-0 辽宁" (in Chinese). csldata.sports.sohu.com. 21 August 2005. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
  3. ^ 2008赛季中超-球员 郜林 (in Chinese). sports.sina.com.cn. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
  4. ^ 朱骏第三次出马终有结果 郜林2+1合同续约申花 (in Chinese). sports.sina.com.cn. 22 February 2009. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
  5. ^ "郜林300万年薪入恒大 杜威摇摆：绿城人情PK400万" (in Chinese). sports.sina.com.cn. 10 March 2010. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
  6. ^ 韩国铁帅赢得首演 郜林梅开二度广州击败学生军 (in Chinese). sports.sohu.com. 4 April 2010. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
  7. ^ 郜林破球荒恒大险晋级 230天后亚冠生死战自我救赎 (in Chinese). sports.21cn.com. 15 May 2012. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
  8. ^ 恒大最幸福的人!爱情事业双收 破936分钟球荒献里皮 (in Chinese). sports.sina.com.cn. 20 May 2012. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
  9. ^ 中超首支卫冕冠军队诞生 恒大两度封王卫冕夺魁 (in Chinese). sports.sohu.com. 27 October 2012. Retrieved 30 October 2012.
  10. ^ 郜林屡遭队内处罚均与裁判有关 三张罚单交罚金40万 (in Chinese). sports.sohu.com. 27 October 2012. Retrieved 23 November 2012.
  11. ^ 郜林的微博 新浪微博-随时随地分享身边的新鲜事儿 (in Chinese). weibo.com. 11 November 2012. Retrieved 23 November 2012.
  12. ^ "SHENZHEN VS. GUANGZHOU R&F 3 - 0". soccerway.com. 26 July 2020. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  13. ^ "Tournaments: Mens Olympic Football Tournament Beijing 2008: China PR 1–1 New Zealand". fifa.com. 7 August 2008. Retrieved 16 July 2012.[dead link]
  14. ^ "8-Man China PR Team Withstands Pressure and Draws With Korea Rep". eaff.com. 31 July 2005. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
  15. ^ 中国 6-1 越南 (in Chinese). teamchina.freehostia.com. 21 January 2009. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
  16. ^ "第五人！郜林紧随郑智达国足百场 质疑中的淬炼". Sina. 11 September 2018. Retrieved 11 September 2018.
  17. ^ 郜林谈结婚感觉奇妙责任重 婚礼晚装已被企业赞助 (in Chinese). sina.com.cn. 6 September 2013. Retrieved 6 September 2013.
  18. ^ 郜林斯曼的救赎 (in Chinese). 163.com. 29 October 2013. Archived from the original on 6 January 2015. Retrieved 6 January 2015.
  19. ^ "郜林". sodasoccer (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 30 March 2019. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
  20. ^ Matches of Gao Lin
  21. ^ "GAO LIN". soccerway (in Chinese). Retrieved 18 April 2018.
  22. ^ "中甲最新积分榜:恒大稳胜摘联赛桂冠 南京有有降级". sports.sina.com.cn. 3 April 2010. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
  23. ^ "足协杯-张琳芃传射8024两球 恒大总分5-3贵州夺冠". Sports.sina.com.cn. 18 November 2012. Retrieved 20 August 2019.
  24. ^ 足协杯-黄博文世界波救主 恒大总分3-3苏宁夺冠 (in Chinese). Sports.sina.com.cn. 27 November 2016. Retrieved 20 August 2019.

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