On May 28, Tianjin Jinmen Tigers defeated Dalian Renren 1-0 with a goal in the last minute of stoppage time in the 10th round of the Chinese Super League, ranking fourth in the Chinese Super League with 4 wins, 6 draws and 18 points. After the game, Yu Genwei admitted that the victory was lucky, but the determination of the whole team to persevere until the last minute was the fundamental reason for the victory. He has always believed that even if he loses the ball first, the Tigers will be able to play the game back.
This race, which was also the third race of the Tigers in 9 days, also experienced a flight of nearly 4,000 kilometers from north to south and then south to north. Especially in the last round of the match in Meizhou, Jinmen Tigers have exhausted. The team relied on tenacious will to snatch one point from away.
The opponent of Jinmen Tigers in this match is the Dalian people, who have not won in 8 rounds. Before the game, Xie Hui's remarks about fan culture also caused great controversy. Xie Hui said that winning is to see, losing is not the same as the football culture he sees in Europe. Some Dalian fans expressed support for Xie Hui's statement, but more questioned the team's poor performance, insufficient hard work, and not worthy of the fans' support. In this context, the Dalian Sports Center Stadium on the evening of the 28th flooded with 8,977 spectators.
Facing an opponent eager to score three points, Tsumen Tigers once again made adjustments to the starting lineup. Yang Fan, Wang Jianan, Guo Hao and Park Taoyu who started in the last round were all sitting on the bench, Berizi, who was in the line of fire, was also on standby on the bench, and the other three foreign players started the game. Han Pengfei, Barton, Tian Yinong and Su Yuanjie made their debuts. For the Dalian team, it was 4 foreign starters, and replaced the much-maligned goalkeeper Zhang Chong with Wu Ling.
Who presses whom to hit?
This season, the Dalian team, which pursues the pressurization, has encountered unprecedented difficulties. After winning the first round, it suffered an 8-round winless run. This is not only due to the fact that the teams are more balanced this season, but there is no team without foreign assistance like Hebei. The poor performance of the Dalian team itself is also a key reason. After persisting for a season, Xie Hui's pressing play has been understood by more teams, and the overall effect has been greatly reduced. Compared with last season, Dalian people's average passing, shooting and shooting on target this season have decreased. Defensively, statistics such as steals and interceptions have also dropped significantly compared to last season.
The more advanced pressing and fighting of Jinmen Tigers made the opponent extremely uncomfortable when facing Shanghai Port, Beijing Guoan and Shandong Taishan team. Had it not been for bad luck and some controversial penalties, the Tigers would have had a chance to win from these three strong teams. In the last round, despite facing Meizhou Hakka, Jinmen Tigers were more passive for the first time, the thickness of the lineup was insufficient, and the fatigue of the whole team was the main reason.
The meeting of the two pressed teams in this game also attracted widespread attention from the outside world. In the first half of the game, both teams fully implemented the tactical requirements of pressing and fighting, and engaged in hand-to-hand combat in midfield. Footage of players falling to the ground is constantly appearing on the field. The Dalian team had the advantage, but the last pass or last shot was not ideal.
Tsumen Tigers were somewhat passive and did not finish their first shot of the first half until the 37th minute. Tian Yinong's left-footed shot at the top of the arc of the penalty area was relatively square, and did not pose any threat to Wu Ling. Subsequently, anti-aircraft guns were also put on the long shot of Merida. The two teams drew 0-0 in the first half. And very bad for the Jinmen Tigers, the two starting central defenders, Han Pengfei and Andujar, both received yellow cards in the first half.
In the second half, the Tigers replaced Rosa with Beric to strengthen the attack. But it still did not change the passive situation. In particular, it is difficult for the right side attack to play a role and is suppressed by the opponent. Near the end of the match, Jinmen Hu replaced Merida and Wang Qiuming with Shi Yan and Guo Hao. Despite making many adjustments, the Jinmen Tigers were still passive, but Shi Yan's attack on the right side gradually improved after his appearance.
In the last minute of injury time, Jinmen Tigers won a free kick in front, Xie Weijun's header hit the far post, and in the scuffle in front of goal, the ball bounced into the goal. The Jinmen Tigers believe that this goal was scored by Han Pengfei, and some media counted this goal on the head of the defender of the Dalian team, which was an own goal. Eventually, the match supervisor confirmed that the ball was an own goal. The Tigers also scored a valuable 3-0 with this killer goal.
The moment the halffield whistle blew, the Tsumen Tigers bench was jubilant. Berridge took off his mask and joined the celebratory procession. Head coach Yu Genwei led all the players to the sidelines to thank the Tianjin fans who traveled on the expedition.
"It's a pleasure to win this tough game, the lot of work and the continuous fighting, the players are very consuming. The players can maintain full spirit and firm belief in winning under difficult circumstances, and hope that everyone can fight until the last 1 minute. Yu Genwei said frankly that the Jinmen Tigers were very lucky in this game and won the game at the last minute. I hope everyone will maintain this momentum, as well as determination and conviction, and play the next match against Wuhan Three Towns. ”
The Tigers have won two consecutive away games under extremely difficult circumstances. Draw Meizhou Hakka and defeat Dalian people. Especially in the match against Dalian Renren, in the case of passive scene and a draw, Jinmen Tigers won a set-piece at the last moment and actually pressed them all. It is precisely because of this persistence that there is a final lore. "To be able to win and to stay true to the beliefs is very important. Although the Dalian team is temporarily ranked low, they are very energetic and play in a very positive way, so playing Dalian will not be an easy game. I said to the players, we have to hold on until the last minute, maybe we will concede the ball first, but we have to be firm and we will come back. ”
Play two more rounds and you can rest
After the match, the Jinmen Tigers will return to Tianjin on the 29th to continue preparing for the home match against Wuhan Three Towns on June 4. In the match played on the 27th, the defending champion Wuhan Three Towns was reversed 1-2 away by the Cangzhou Lions. Currently, Ghanaian foreign aid Aziz is suspended, and Davidson is also injured. However, the overall strength of the Wuhan team is strong, especially domestic players such as Wei Shihao, Xie Pengfei, Tao Qianglong, etc., all have strong attacking power. Therefore, in the home match against the Wuhan Three Towns team, the Jinmen Tigers need to do their best. Fortunately, the team has almost a week to rest, and the players can relax physically and mentally.
On June 8, the Tigers will play away in Chengdu against another unbeaten team that has started the tournament so far, Chengdu Rongcheng. Under the leadership of South Korean coach Seo Jung-won, Chengdu currently ranks second with 5 wins and 5 draws. And their home stadium, Phoenix Mountain Football Stadium, is also a stadium built for the Asian Cup, and the atmosphere is very good. Jinmen Tiger's away game is bound to be extremely difficult.
Subsequently, the league will enter a breakout period, and the national team will start playing. The national football team will face Myanmar and Palestine in Dalian on June 16 and 20. The Tigers will also enter a rare period of rest. Injured players can recover well, and players who are physically tired can also take the opportunity to adjust their physical condition. Prepare for the second phase of the Chinese Super League, which will reopen on June 28.