The Jinmen Tigers drew 1-1 with last year's league champions Wuhan Sanzhen in the 11th round of the Chinese Super League on June 5, but even so, they remain undefeated this season. Reporter Shen Wei hit the nail on the head when he pointed out that such a good performance was no coincidence, and that continuous high-intensity training had laid a solid foundation for their outstanding performance.
If you look at the results alone, there is no doubt that the Jinmen Tigers are a team of extraordinary strength. After all, 11 consecutive rounds without conceding a goal is not a small feat. However, a closer look at the distribution of wins and losses in the 11 rounds reveals that Jinmen Tigers only won against downstream teams such as Zhejiang, Shenzhen, Henan and Dalian. Naturally, the rankings of these teams are not comparable to that of Jinmen Tigers.
However, what was most impressive was the performance of the Jinmen Tigers against strong opponents. Shandong Taishan and Wuhan Sanzhen eventually drew their opponents even though they were once behind. The matches against Shanghai and Hong Kong were particularly exciting and caused headaches for the opponents. Despite seeing victory against Beijing Guoan and Changchun Yatai, the title was ultimately not won due to the physical condition of the players.
The Jinmen Tigers did play like a strong team, but judging from the lineup, they are not strong. In fact, the strength of the players needs to be improved. According to common sense, the offense should focus on efficiency, but the Jinmen Tigers are very emphasis on running, which makes the game rhythm slightly aggressive, but to a large extent to reduce the pressure on the defense.
The tactical design of the Jinmen Tigers is bold and effective. Of course, this also means that once the players run out of energy, the risk is extremely high in the late stage of the game. If not for Chang Feiya's timely block, Tao Qianglong's shot would have had unimaginable consequences.
In the intensive schedule, the main players of Jinmen Tigers were slightly tired. However, the team still persisted to 11 rounds and remained undefeated. It must be said that the usual training has played a crucial role. in the training session on June 1, coach Zhang Chaosong's words are still ringing in our ears: "Only by adapting to this kind of training intensity, can we maintain abundant physical strength in the game." If there is a secret to the rise of the Jinmen Tigers, it is relentless training.
