In the 18th round of the Chinese Super League (CSL), Nantong Zhiyun welcomed Chengdu Rongcheng at home on July 7, Beijing time. In this match, both sides showed a very high level of competition and tenacious fighting spirit, but in the end, Chengdu Rongcheng won the away match against Nantong Zhiyun with a score of 1-0 by virtue of a wonderful goal in the second half, and successfully gained three consecutive victories in the league.
At the beginning of the first half, both sides entered the game quickly, with a fast-paced transition between offense and defense. Nantong Zhiyun, as the home team, obviously hoped to take advantage of the home field advantage to open up the situation first, while Chengdu Rongcheng played steadily, looking for opportunities to counterattack. Around the 20th minute of the match, the first goal was scored. Chengdu Rongcheng took advantage of a corner kick opportunity, with Felipe leaping high in the box and overpowering a defender to score a header. However, after repeated replays by the VAR video assistant referee confirmed that Felipe was slightly offside when he jumped, the goal was ruled invalid and Nantong Zhiyun was lucky to escape.
Despite missing this excellent breakthrough opportunity, Chengdu Rongcheng didn't get discouraged as they continued to look for the next attacking opportunity through patient passing and precise running. Nantong Zhiyun also strengthened their defense, trying to stay undefeated at home. Both sides exchanged attacks and defenses for the rest of the first half, but neither side was able to change the score, and the game went into the halftime break with a score of 0-0.
In the second half, Chengdu Rongcheng clearly stepped up their offense by making frequent substitutions and adjustments in an attempt to create more threats on the offensive end. Around the 60th minute, one of Chengdu Rongcheng's subtle maneuvers finally paid off. Romulo sent a precise cross from the left, which went through Nantong Zhiyun's defense and accurately found Zhou Dingyang at the back. Zhou Dingyang was able to fulfill the expectation, jumped up high and broke the door of Nantong Zhiyun with a powerful header. The goal not only broke the deadlock for Chengdu Rongcheng, but also completely ignited the passion of the fans on the sidelines.
Chengdu Rongcheng didn't stop after the goal, they continued to keep control of the game, while Nantong Zhiyun was a bit impatient, and their offense suffered many setbacks. Although they tried their best to equalize the score at the end of the game, they were unable to do so due to time constraints and Chengdu Rongcheng's solid defense.
With the referee's whistle, the match ended with Chengdu Rongcheng defeating Nantong Zhiyun with a score of 1-0 on the road, successfully reaping three consecutive wins in the league.
