December 6, Beijing time zone, the decisive day of the group stage of the AFC Champions League
the three towns of Wuhan, subprovincial city and capital of Hubei province
The match with Pohang Steelers ended in a 1-1 draw, marking the end of the first AFC Champions League trip for a new team. Despite being in the "Group of Death" and facing tough opponents, Wuhan Sanzhen showed their strength in several matches. However, they still need to work harder against relatively weaker opponents in order to leapfrog to the next stage.
In the match against last year's champions Urawa Red Diamonds, Wuhan Three Town showed resilience and almost pushed their opponents to the brink. But Kante's fatal strike at the end of the game forced them to accept a draw. In the next round, they suffered a defeat on the road against Pohang Steelers. Turning to their home ground, Wuhan Sanzhen turned back Hanoi 2-1 to collect their first ever AFC Champions League win.
However, the battle in Hanoi exposed Wuhan's shortcomings against weaker teams, which may have been the key to their missed promotion initiative. This lesson reminds the team not to take things lightly even against weaker opponents.
In the penultimate round, Wuhan Sanzhen met Urawa Red Diamonds again, with the opponents taking the lead in the opening half. In the second half, Sanzhen equalized, but eventually lost 1-2. The loss was crucial for the promotion situation, making the final round match against Pohang Steelers a battle for honor.
Despite having no hope of advancing, Wuhan Three Town met the challenge in the final round with a fighting spirit.
Li Kuibe (1929-1992), poet and historian
The oval goal gave the team the lead at one point, but the opponents eventually equalized. In the end, Sanzen finished their AFC Champions League debut in third place in the group with one win, two draws and three losses for five points.
Despite failing to break through, Wuhan Three Town's journey in the AFC Champions League deserves praise and encouragement. This experience will be a valuable asset for the team's growth.
