Qingdao Haiyuns hosted Nantong Zhiyun in the marquee match of the 11th round of the 2024 Chinese Super League. The game is crucial for both sides as they are at the bottom of the table and desperately need a win to escape the pressure of the relegation zone.
In the first half, both teams showed a strong desire to attack, but unfortunately, neither team was able to capitalize on the opportunity to put the ball in the opponent's goal, and the score remained 0-0 at the end of the half.
Entering the second half, Qingdao Sea Bulls took the lead to break the deadlock. Substitute Wang Jianming played well and scored a goal each in the 69th and 79th minutes to help his team take a 2-0 lead. At this point, Qingdao Sea Cowboys were in a good position, but the turning point of the game came in the extra time.
In extra time, Nantong Zhiyun was awarded a corner kick. Although the referee initially signaled that the ball had gone out of bounds, the VAR (Video Assistant Referee) then intervened, and after repeatedly reviewing the replay, the referee finally ruled that Nantong Zhiyun's header was valid. The decision was controversial, as the replay footage never made it clear whether the pass had gone out of bounds.
Then, in the last stage of extra time, Nantong Zhiyun attacked again and scored a goal to equalize the score at 2-2. This goal gave Nantong Zhiyun a great encouragement and let them take a valuable point away from home.
However, in the final moments of the game, Qingdao Hainiu's home fans started to throw objects onto the field because they were not satisfied with the referee's decision. These objects not only hit the players of both teams, but also nearly caused the referee to be injured. This behavior seriously interfered with the order of the game and took the focus of the game away from the sport itself. Eventually, the referee intervened and the game was suspended for a few minutes before resuming.
