The 29th round of the Chinese Super League ended with the dust settling on the championship. In this marquee matchup, Taishan failed to turn their numerical advantage into a victory, though they tried their best to tie the game. They tried their best to equalize the score, but the one-point difference obviously could not satisfy their pursuit. With five points separating them from Harbor, the only way to keep the suspense alive was to win. Regrettably, Taishan had to accept a draw and see Harbor Team win the championship. Admittedly, Tarzan's strength is not to be underestimated as they finished second for the second year in a row, but they failed to achieve the desired results in the details, especially in some chances that they should have scored.
However, we can't deny the efforts of the Taishan players, and individual players even fought for the victory at all costs. In the 17th minute of the game, Wang Tong inadvertently lost his balance and fell heavily in order to avoid Oscar's ferocious flying shovel. After a short checkup, Wang Tong was unable to continue and had no choice but to leave the field. Taishan team didn't dare to be slow and sent Wang Tong to the hospital for the first time to receive treatment. After imaging examination, Wang Tong's left leg was seriously injured, with dislocation of the patella, fracture of the lower pole, and ligament damage, and surgery was recommended after expert consultation.
Given Wang Tong's injury, he will bid an early farewell to the 2023 season. Looking back at the whole season, the 30-year-old Wang Tong was trusted by coach Choi Kang-hee as the main flyhalf of Taishan. He made 28 appearances in a season, including 19 starts, and contributed 4 assists. With his outstanding performance, Wang Tong was also selected to the national soccer team as an international player. The injury will lead to a long recovery period, which will undoubtedly be a tough test for the 30-year-old. On the one hand, the injury itself will require a long recovery time, especially the leg injury, which affects movement, and time for physical rehabilitation after recovery. On the other hand, as a starter, Wang Tong's position in the team is highly competitive, and once he is injured, other players will fill the void. When he comes back, it will be a bigger challenge for him to regain the starting position.
As for the national team call-ups, I'm afraid we need to show better performance. After all, Coach Kovic's selection trend favors younger players, and the number of international players over the age of 30 is decreasing year by year. According to the schedule, Taishan's opponent in the 30th round is Henan, and since they have already locked up the runner-up spot, there is not much pressure on the game, and Wang Tong's absence will have limited impact on the overall situation. However, in the subsequent AFC Cup final, Wang Tong's absence damaged Taishan's overall strength.
