In the 17th round of China League One, the spotlight is undoubtedly on Nanjing City. On the one hand, the team is at a critical point in the title race. In their last away match against Heilongjiang Bingcheng, they unfortunately lost by 3 goals and slipped out of the top 3, making their dream of winning the championship seem out of reach. With the gap between them and the super zone now widened to 2 points, this is a crucial battle for Nanjing City to redeem themselves. If they lose again, they are likely to be overtaken by other teams.
On the other hand, in order to enhance the strength of the team, Nanjing City strengthened its squad in the summer transfer window. One of the most notable additions was 30-year-old international Wu Xinghan from Taishan. Wu Xinghan, who missed games in the 2023 Chinese Super League season by joining a relegated team, aims to get back his competitive form in this transfer.
Cao Rui, the head coach of Nanjing City, faced the 10th ranked Dongguan Guanlian team and resolutely sent out the full-strength lineup, and the newly joined Wu Xinghan was honored to enter the starting lineup. During the game, Dongguan Guanlian was mainly on defense. After a 15-minute trial, the Nanjing City team suddenly accelerated the pace of the attack, but the defensive end of the loophole, was Dongguan seized the opportunity to take the lead in the 20th minute to lose the ball. Although Wu Xinghan had many good opportunities to counterattack, Dongguan's defense was solid and the goalkeeper played heroically. At the end of the half, Nanjing City was 0-1 behind.
Facing the desperate situation of the home team, Cao Rui replaced Yang He in the 62nd minute to strengthen the offense. Eventually, he scored a goal in the match, assisted by Zhang Xinlin, and Nanjing City equalized the score. Then, Cao Rui's tactical adjustments paid off again. In the 72nd minute, Yang He's pass led to an opponent's defensive error, and Nanjing City scored the winning goal, reversing Dongguan Guanlian's lead with a 2-1 victory. This kept the gap between them and the top of the table at two points, and they could return to the top three at any time.
Looking back at the game, Wu Xinghan had a respectable performance, but has yet to return to his best form. More importantly, this game was also his debut in the 2023 season. Returning to the field of play, it is inevitable to have some discomfort. I'm sure he'll be watched closely as he settles in at his new home. After all, he is an international player.
Taishan team hope that Wu Xinghan through this loan to adjust the state, once he regained the state, Taishan team may also continue to use him. Although previously suffered a 4-month "ban", but the Taishan team did not give up, this also gives Wu Xinghan a chance, the key is whether he can seize.
