Most people might think that a 1-3 scoreline is not that bad, after all, how many points difference can be considered a real failure? However, if you look back at the entire match between Beijing Guoan and Meizhou Hakka, you will realize that "despair" is not just a reflection of numbers. This feeling is often more tormenting than the final score.
Firstly, Guiao are in top form and they are confidently looking forward to finishing in the top three.
Breaking down Chengdu Rongcheng's undefeated wall on the road and sweeping Shenzhen 6-0 at home, Guoan's performance was not only a simple pursuit of victory, but Ricardo Suarez's transformation has begun to bear fruit, giving Guoan fans a glimpse of the revitalization aspirations of this veteran powerhouse.
Ricardo Suarez, who just joined Guoan, didn't attract much attention with a narrow one-goal win over Zibo Qisheng in the AFC Cup. Although in the league lost to the momentum of the Shanghai seaport, but everyone still choose to give understanding. After all, when you first come to the Chinese Super League, facing a new environment and a new team, and facing such a strong opponent, a small loss is tolerable.
Two consecutive victories followed to impress the fans with the coach and the new team. Ricardo Suarez not only halted Guiao's slide, but also proved his worth. Before he took over, people were skeptical about his coaching ability and resume.
It is because of the recent outstanding performance, the Beijing media have called for Guoan to return to the top three. For some time now, Guoan's performance has been comparable to that of Shandong Taishan and Wuhan Sanzhen, with the same outstanding form and the same change of manager.
Prior to the game, Tianjin Jinmen Tigers failed to take all three points, leaving Shandong Taishan tied with Guoan for fourth place in the standings (Shandong Taishan has a slight advantage in goal difference). As long as Guoan can beat Meizhou Hakka, the points gap between the top two teams will be only one point, and Chengdu Rongcheng's third-place lead is only three points, so entering the top three seems to be within reach.
However, this rosy expectation was mercilessly shattered by the Meizhou Hakka!
Second, the status quo is so desperate that coaches make rare adjustments.
Facing Meizhou Hakka, Guoan suffered a sudden and tragic defeat, which made them wake up completely.
At the beginning of the game, Guoan went through the motions and played solid defense, however, a defensive error led to an unexpected goal conceded, which threw the Guoan players into disarray. In the next 25 minutes, they conceded consecutive goals. If not for a Meizhou Hakka goal that was ruled offside, the score in the first half could have been even uglier.
You may be wondering why Guoan suddenly lost momentum. After conceding the ball, the players had no sense of position and the defense from midfield to backfield was almost in chaos. Meizhou Hakka didn't have much control, but every pass was enough to create a threat in the limited space.
Here's the problem: there was a serious lapse in defensive coordination between the two excellent backs, the two wingbacks and the center backs. Meizhou Hakka capitalized on this opening, striking with precision from the gap between the backs and the wingbacks. A single direct or diagonal pass can make Guoan's overall defense falter!
Coach Ricardo Suarez also realized this and therefore made a rare change at the start of the second half: four players were replaced in one go! Chi Zhongguo at the back, two defenders, Zhang Chengdong and Feng Boxuan, and a forward, Nai Bijiang, were all replaced. His aim was to restructure the defensive system and inject new energy on the offensive end. Despite the effect of this bold move, the team was already too far behind in the first half and had no choice but to accept defeat in the end.
