A magical night at Gongti: Seven players scored! Seven-goal victory! Seventh time reaching the final!

Special Contributor/Song Ci A 7-0 score in a cup semi-final between two elite teams is an unusual sight in football globally. Nonetheless, this was the reality in the 2025 Chinese FA Cup semi-finals. On the evening of August 20th, Beijing Guoan swept Yunnan Yukun 7-0, with goals from seven different players, earning their seventh appearance in the FA Cup final after seven years.

An unexpected situation arose immediately after the match: hotel bookings near Suzhou Olympic Sports Center on December 5th surged dramatically. The reason? Guoan fans, reacting to the 7-0 win, rushed to secure accommodations for the final in Suzhou.

Judging by this season’s league encounters and previous FA Cup history, Beijing Guoan seemed to have the upper hand. Still, nothing is certain in football. Just as Henan eliminated Chengdu Rongcheng away the day before, a Yukun upset at Gongti wasn’t entirely out of the question.

Before the match, Guoan maintained a notably low profile. The team was dealing with serious injuries: Yukun started five foreign players, while Guoan could only field two.

Setién specifically referenced prior meetings before the match: “I’m not sure we have enough of an advantage at home. Our previous encounters with this opponent were tough. Last time, we fell behind but fought back with great effort to win. Yunnan Yukun has a solid squad and talented individuals who can make a difference in key moments. We know we can’t afford any mistakes; in a match like this, there’s no room for regret. We must capitalize on our attacking opportunities.”

Interestingly, Setién even joked before the match: “Maybe I want to drag it to a penalty shootout and let Hou Sen solve it for us. Of course, I’m kidding—having Hou Sen gives us great confidence.”

Indeed, in the previous two FA Cup knockout rounds, Guoan relied on goalkeeper Hou Sen’s heroics to advance. This time, however, Guoan avoided any nail-biting moments at home and, just as Setién had hoped, executed their chances perfectly. Nearly every shot on target posed a threat, and seven different players found the net—an exceptionally rare feat.

No one expected a 7-0 result before kickoff; for Guoan fans, even a comfortable home win seemed optimistic. Prior to this, Guoan’s three-game winless streak in the league had lowered expectations, with supporters simply hoping to reach the FA Cup final to salvage some pride this year.

Even after away wins against Zhejiang and Qingdao West Coast in the league, few believed Guoan was back to full strength. With numerous injuries, and key players like Zhang Yuning, Cao Yongjing, and Zhang Xizhe unable to start, plus facing a Yukun side with five foreign starters, Guoan’s prospects of surviving to a penalty shootout were uncertain.

However, most people may have overlooked one thing: sometimes heritage itself is a kind of strength. No matter how many difficulties Guoan faces, stepping onto the Gongti pitch gives the team a powerful aura and fighting spirit.

It’s hard to say whether Yukun was affected by nerves, having never played on such a big stage before. In any case, their performance was far below their previous league showing at Gongti. Fabio’s opening goal came after a defensive error, then Yukun’s main foreign player was sent off for a malicious foul, tipping the balance instantly toward Guoan. With a 3-0 lead at halftime, the contest was all but over. As Zhang Yuning and others came on and scored in the second half, the match turned into a nightmare for Yukun. A 7-0 scoreline, much like the famous 9-1, is a rare, almost unrepeatable event—Gongti celebrated another magical night.

Before the match against Yukun, some fans checked hotel prices near Suzhou Olympic Sports Center for December 5th; at that time, the nearest four-star hotel was 600 yuan per night. After the match, prices had already risen above 700 yuan, and some hotels were fully booked for that date. As the semi-final progressed, Guoan fans began reserving hotels online near the Suzhou venue.

This marks Guoan’s seventh appearance in the FA Cup final. Previously, they reached the final in 1996, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2003, and 2018, winning four times except for losses to Chongqing in 2000 and Dalian in 2001. Alongside Shandong, Guoan is one of the Cup’s traditional powerhouses. This time, facing Henan—who are making their first final—Guoan fans are eager for silverware, especially since winning the league title is even more challenging.

Internally, Guoan remains as modest as ever. Wang Gang, named Man of the Match, commented: “Although we’ve reached the FA Cup final, now isn’t the time to celebrate. Making the final doesn’t mean we’ve won the trophy; we have to keep working hard to achieve our goal.”

Setién echoed Wang Gang’s sentiment, even though the final is still three and a half months away. The Guoan coach immediately called on fans to join the team at the stadium. Setién stated: “Our supporters are an essential part of us and a strong backing. My players are fighting tirelessly, and when things aren’t going well on the pitch, we need support even more. I hope Beijing fans will fill the stadium for the final and cheer the team on.”