On the evening of May 11, Tianjin Jinmen Tigers drew 0-0 at home with the leader Shanghai Shenhua and got a valuable 1 point. After the game, Yu Genwei affectionately thanked the fans for their support and said that only by doing their job well and leading the team to make more contributions to Tianjin football can they repay the support of the fans.
The match coincided with the weekend after the off, and attendance was slightly affected. But 26,517 fans still came to the scene to witness Yu Genwei's 100th game in charge of the Jinmen Tigers. When the players from both sides entered, the stands played two huge tifos to pay tribute to the flag man of Tianjin football.
In the last round of the game, the Jinmen Tigers defeated the Henan team 2-1 away and ended the losing streak. Of the two injured players, Vincent Kompagno has largely recovered from injury and came on as a substitute for this game. Grant has also returned to Tianjin from Australia and will identify further treatment options as soon as possible.
After a week's rest, the players of the Jinmen Tigers have significantly recovered their physical and mental state. In the starting lineup, the Jinmen Tigers arranged two foreign players to start, Ademi and Škoric, while Fioririch sat on the bench.
After the opening, the Jinmen Tigers recycled their formation to play defensive counterattacks after several rounds of tentative attacks. Although the Shenhua team lacks two core foreign aids, Malele and Teixeira, the overall strength is still above the Jinmen Tigers. In the first half, the Shenhua team created many scoring opportunities, especially in the 33rd minute, Xie Pengfei single-handedly shot the neutral post, and the Jinmen Tiger escaped. The two teams drew 0-0 at half-time, and the Jinmen Tigers were relatively passive and had few chances.
In the second half, the Shenhua team replaced Dai Weijun for Hanchao, continuing the advantage on the field. The Jinmen Tigers used a solid defense to make the Shenhua team helpless. In the 67th minute, the Jinmen Tigers replaced Xie Weijun with Kompagno, and Fioririch also came on as a substitute, and the Jinmen Tigers intended to attack the Shenhua team's backline at the last moment and get more points. After 7 minutes of stoppage time, the two teams drew 0-0, and the Jinmen Tigers gave the opponent their first clean sheet this season, and the outstanding goalkeeper Fang Jingqi was also named the best player of the game.
At the end of the game, head coach Yu Genwei high-fived everyone on the bench and on the field. To be able to draw at home to the top of the table is an absolutely acceptable result. "It was a very tough game, Shenhua was the best team in the first 10 rounds, the overall strength is very strong, and it is acceptable to get one point at home today. Our guiding ideology today is to hold on in the first half and then attack the opponent in the second half. Even though we didn't create too many chances, I was happy with the overall performance of the players. We had difficulties in the first few rounds, so we still have to adjust slowly and grab point by point. ”
Regarding the support of the fans, Yu Genwei said excitedly, "I am in the city of Tianjin, whether I am a player or coach this team, what touches me the most is the support and trust of Tianjin fans. I don't have much to express but thanks. I can only do my job well in a down-to-earth manner, so that the team can contribute to Tianjin football with a more stable performance and repay the support of the fans. ”
From April 22, 2021, when he led the team to the first game, he lost to Shanghai Port with a newly reconstituted lineup, and fought a bloody road to stubborn relegation at the end of the season. From needing to play a relegation group game to setting a record of being unbeaten at home all season. For more than three seasons, Yu Genwei led the Jinmen Tigers to fight in the south and the north, and played the style of Tianjin football in Chinese football. Many fans dragged their families to the scene to watch the game, not only to support the hometown team, but also for the memories of their youth, to see the Yu Genwei who killed all sides in the Minyuan Stadium, sitting in the coach's seat and continuing to work hard for Tianjin football.
Coaching 100 games is a milestone and a node on the Long March. Under the leadership of Yu Genwei, the Jinmen Tigers have outstanding characteristics and are full of hard work. Despite the difficulties in the stages, there is no doubt that they are getting back on track to grab points. The 6th place in the league is also an affirmation of this team.
After this game, the Jinmen Tigers will once again usher in a double match for a week. On the 17th, they will visit Cangzhou to challenge their old rival Cangzhou Lions. On Tuesday, they will return to their home stadium to face Shandong Taishan. The away match with Qingdao Manatees on the 26th will also be the final battle of the second phase of the league. The national football team will regroup to prepare for the World Cup qualifiers against Thailand at home on June 6.