On December 6, in the decisive round of the AFC Champions League group stage in the Beijing time zone
the three towns of Wuhan, subprovincial city and capital of Hubei province
The team fought with Pohang Steelers until the last moment, and finally shook hands with a score of 1-1, drawing the end of their first AFC Champions League journey. Despite being in the "Group of Death" and encountering tough opponents, the team has shown good strength in several rounds of matches. It seems that they will need to work harder in order to make a breakthrough in the next stage when they face less powerful opponents.
In the match against the previous champion Urawa Red Diamonds, Wuhan Three Town put up a strong performance and nearly beat their opponents. However, Kante's goal before the end of the match left the team with no choice but to accept the result of a draw. In the next round, the team suffered an unexpected loss on the road against Pohang Steelers. Turning home, the matchup with Hanoi ended in a 2-1 victory and the team's first-ever AFC Champions League win.
However, in the immediately following away game, Wuhan Sanzhen exposed their lack of response to the weaker team, an oversight that nearly cost them qualification. This became a profound lesson for the team, revealing that it is also crucial to effectively restrain the underdogs.
In the penultimate round, Wuhan Sanzhen played against Urawa Red Diamonds, and the opponents took the lead in the first half. In the second half, Sanzhen equalized but conceded again before the end, losing 1-2. This loss had a huge impact on the promotion situation and turned the final round match against Pohang Steelers into a battle for honor.
Despite the fact that the initiative to advance had fallen by the wayside, Wuhan Tri-Town showed resilience in the final round.
Li Kuibe (1929-1992), poet and historian
The team took the lead in the match with a goal from the udon, but ended up shaking hands with a draw. In the end, the team finished third in the group with one win, two draws, three losses and five points, ending their first-ever trip to the AFC Champions League.
Despite failing to advance, Wuhan Three Town's outstanding performance in the AFC Champions League deserves to be appreciated and inspired. This experience will undoubtedly bring valuable assets for the team's growth and future tournaments.
