The Nationals seem to have made a significant improvement on the defensive end of the field, going from 7 goals allowed in their last game to 3 goals allowed today. However, it is not difficult for those watching the game to notice that the team seems to be stuck in a circle of defense for the sake of defense. In short, Guoan built up their defense with great determination, and although the number of goals conceded decreased, they lost their own style of play. There was almost no offense in the entire game, a phenomenon that came as quite a surprise. Maybe this is just the team's overall tactical layout when facing strong opponents, but it is not the tradition of Guoan to play defense. In this round of AFC Champions League group stage match against United City FC, the change in the strength of the opponent may give the young Guoan team a chance to readjust the rhythm of the game, both to maintain their own style and not to ignore the importance of defense.
After four games, the performance of Guoan players in the AFC Champions League is different. Successive encounters with strong teams from Japan and South Korea have allowed us to recognize the gap and clarify the way forward. However, consecutive big losses may have dealt a certain blow to the confidence of the young players. This explains why the team adopted a more conservative defense strategy and went all out in the second round match against Daegu FC. Although the result was satisfactory, not posing a substantial threat to the opponent's defense throughout the match was not a performance that Guoan deserved.
Facing United City FC, an opponent who has collected valuable points in the first match of Guoan, the tactics adopted by the team seems to be crucial. Avoiding losing points is of course the first priority, but how to show their own characteristics and level is also a problem that Yankovic needs to think about. After all, in the face of such a strength and Guoan's opponent, and then take a single defensive tactics, it seems to say not to go.
In the first game, Guoan was passive, but the defensive counterattack tactics showed some of the team's characteristics, and Nai Bie Jiang's breakthrough was the key to that goal. If they can't capitalize on this defensive counterattack, Guoan's second goal might be out of reach. Against UCFC, Guoan must play their own style, as for goals and scores, just take it one game at a time, no need to put too much pressure on themselves.
