As the fourth round of the Chinese Super League season comes to an end, four teams have yet to taste the sweet nectar of victory: Group A's Chongqing Liangjiang Athletic is struggling due to a lack of funds, while renamed Henan has yet to recover from its restructuring; Group B's Zimmen Tigers are struggling to keep their team alive, while Wuhan is looking for a new start after a change of manager. In the upcoming fifth round, the Jinmen Tigers will face Wuhan in a direct battle. Though the matchup has been dubbed an "underdog matchup" before the start of the game, the backgrounds of the head coaches of the two teams have already shrouded the game in somber colors even before the game begins.
Li Xiaopeng, the two-time consecutive best coach in the Chinese Super League, has not had a smooth coaching road in Wuhan. After four rounds of fighting, he led the team to accumulate only two points, which seems to be comparable to the Jinmen Tigers.
Yu Genwei, the legendary player who helped China's men's soccer team go from Asia to the world with a single goal, is now doing his best to save the struggling Jinmen Tigers.
The two had been not only teammates but also co-captains during their time on the national team. in late 2002, when Shen Xiangfu was temporarily acting as the national football team's head coach, he announced Yu Genwei and Li Xiaopeng as the double captains. This is also the first time in the history of the national team double captain phenomenon.
Although at the time the double captaincy meant that they would not be on the field at the same time, the arrangement seemed to foreshadow a certain delicate relationship in the league going forward. While the two certainly have a cordial relationship, it is inevitable that they will face confrontation in the competition. Just like today's Zhuoer and Jinmen Tigers, they both desperately need three points, as they may be able to save their teams from the fire.
Li Xiaopeng has been under a lot of pressure recently, and as a local coach, he has heard whispers of his dismissal. Despite the support of the top management, but the pressure is obvious - the first four rounds of the face Shenhua and Guoan and other tough opponents, Li Xiaopeng's loss is still understandable. This time against the Jinmen Tigers, Li Xiaopeng has no reason not to win easily, after all, the opponent is the softest persimmon in the league.
Yu Genwei is also facing a lot of challenges, after four rounds, the team has only accumulated one point, and the number of goals scored and conceded are at the bottom of the league. These problems are difficult to solve quickly because of the team's limited personnel reserves and level of preparation. While other teams have been preparing for the whole winter, they only had three short weeks for emergency preparation. This puts the Jinmen Tigers in a vulnerable position.
In this context, the "underdog showdown" has not yet begun, Li Xiaopeng seems to have an advantage. What's more, he knows all about the Jinmen Tigers center back "Yida combination" of Li Songyi and Kadar.
