When Soccer Daily mentioned the fierce competition in the Chinese Super League on Oct. 27, it revealed a dramatic story - Dalian Yingbo's path to promotion.
In the final sprint of the Central League, Yingbo is trailing with 54 points, while Guangzhou is clinging on with 49 points, and the battle for promotion between the two teams is getting hotter and hotter. In the penultimate round of matches, Yingbo only needs a narrow win over Yukun on the road to seal the win in the early round.
However, facing the imperative Yukon, Imbo started with a 541 formation but it failed to work and fell behind 0-2 in the first half. In the second half, the coach adjusted the tactics by replacing Jin Pengxiang and Yan Xianggong and changed to a 442 formation, but still could not break the deadlock and finally lost 0-2.
Meanwhile, Guangzhou beat Yanbian Longding 3-1 at home, and Imbo's points stagnated while Guangzhou's points climbed to 52. From the 21st round to the 29th round, Yingbo's ups and downs, the players' mentality and pressure became the key factors. Coach Li Guoxu confessed, "Pressure follows us everywhere. To achieve our goal, we must learn to bear and adapt."
In the final match, Imbo will host Shanghai Jiading Huilong, while Guangzhou will face Nanjing on the road, both teams were relegated early. If Yingbo wins in the final round, they will be promoted directly without having to look at Guangzhou again. If they don't win, they'll have to hope that Guangzhou can't overtake them; if Guangzhou wins, they'll be passive. It is worth mentioning that if both teams have 55 points, Imbo will be at a disadvantage as they will be double killed by Guangzhou this season.
Facing the last game and the prospect of promotion, captain Xiao Qiang is full of confidence: "The initiative is still in our hands. If we can beat Jiading, we can achieve transcendence. We are so confident that we won't think about the match against Yukun, we will just do our best to get ready for the next match." Li Guoxu added: "Our ultimate goal is to win three points and take the initiative."
