Stepping into the team's lineup, Karanga failed to make the leap to the starting lineup. Coach Lee Kwok-wook sees him as a potential replacement. Given his fitness and health condition, he was not qualified to start for the time being. As the China A team is having a long off-season, Coach Li Guoxu has asked Karanga to train alone in order to recover and return to the starting lineup. The two frontcourt players, Kotelnik and Karanga, seemed to have won half of the matches. However, unfortunately, one of them suffered back-to-back losses at crucial moments. The outside backs were often out of position in the decisive moments.
Karanga's next battle will be against Shijiazhuang Kung Fu on September 15th. Currently leading the table with 34 points, Dalian Yingbo still has a chance to make mistakes as they are three points ahead of third-placed Chongqing Tongliang Dragons. A full win in the next three matches would naturally be the ideal target. Realistically, a record of two wins, a draw and a loss would also be acceptable. Despite the strength of the chasing pack, Dalian Imbo is more likely to overtake, and the initiative is still firmly in their hands. The next goal scoring burden will fall on the shoulders of rising star Zhu Pengyu. He is actively participating in the training of the U19 national team.
This year, due to the inability of foreign strikers to play regularly, the Dalian Yingbo team's goals are relatively scattered. Fei Yu, Lv Zhuo Yi and Kotnik scored 4 goals each, Yan Xianggong and Yan Peng scored 3 goals each, and Wang Xuan Hong and Zhu Peng Yu scored 2 goals each. No one has scored more than five times, which weakens the role of foreigners in the offense. With Embalo and Kotelnik both suffering suspensions, the Dalian Imbo team's foreign aid lineup is damaged but still tough. In the next four matches, coach Li Guoxu's tactical adjustments and players' mental state will be tested. Dalian Yingbo team has clearly exceeded the target, hope this suspension will not affect the overall situation too much.
