On August 3, Beijing time, the 21st round of China's top soccer league saw Zhejiang hosting the visiting Qingdao Hainiu team. The match was a crucial one for both sides, with Zhejiang in desperate need of a win to shake off a recent three-game losing streak, and Qingdao Hainiu eager to move up the table.
The first half started with a fierce confrontation between the two sides. Zhejiang took the lead with the advantage of their home field. In the 15th minute, Saric sent a precise pass from the right side of the field, and Boakye grabbed a powerful header from inside the penalty area to break the door of Hainiu, giving Zhejiang a 1-0 lead. However, the good times didn't last long as Qingdao Hainiu responded quickly. In the 20th minute, Sun Guowen equalized the score with a world shot from about 30 meters away from the goal. Just five minutes later, Owusu replicated Sun's feat, also from outside the penalty area, to put Qingdao Hainiu 2-1 ahead.
As the second half resumed, Zhejiang clearly stepped up their offense in an effort to equalize the disadvantage. In the 50th minute, Kang Gua sent a high-quality cross from the left side of the field, and Boakye once again showed his header power to break the goal and equalize the score at 2-2. This goal certainly injected Zhejiang with a shot in the arm, and they continued to maintain a high-pressure situation. In the 65th minute, Yue Xin killed the ball from the left road into the penalty area and accurately passed the ball to the front of the goal, Leonardo understood, parrying in place, easily pushed the goal, Zhejiang team 3-2 lead again.
Just when people thought Zhejiang would lock up the game, Qingdao Sea Bulls showed their tenacious fighting spirit. In the 75th minute, Evra made a breakthrough in front of the field, and faced with many defenders, he calmly fired a low shot to equalize the score for the Manatees again, 3-3. However, this was not the end of the game. In the 85th minute, Saric sent a precise direct feed from the center of the field, Boakye understood, inserted into the penalty area and calmly pushed a shot to score a hat-trick, Zhejiang team 4-3 lead again, and finally kept this score until the end of the game.
With the final whistle blowing, Zhejiang narrowly defeated Qingdao Hainiu 4-3, successfully ending the embarrassing record of three consecutive losses in the league.
