The Golden Gate Tigers beat Changchun Yatai 3-2 in a thrilling battle, bringing their Chinese Super League campaign to a close. the team took off from Haikou in the late afternoon of November 13th and arrived in Tianjin at nightfall. Today, the team was able to rest and recuperate, and tomorrow they will be back in action to build up for the upcoming FA Cup.
On track, the Jinmen Tigers are scheduled to depart for Dalian on November 16th to prepare for their matchup with the top-ranked Kunshan FC in the Central League on the 17th. Kunshan FC is undefeated in 29 rounds of league matches, with 24 wins, 5 draws, 73 goals and 77 points to lead the table. Facing this "quasi-Chinese Super League" powerhouse, the Jinmen Tigers are afraid that it will be difficult for them to gain the upper hand, therefore, giving their best is the only way for the team to approach the game.
In the last five rounds of the Chinese Super League, Golden Gate Tigers ranked 10th in the table with 35 points from three wins and two draws, 20 points above Guangzhou City, the top team in the relegation zone. Nonetheless, the Golden Gate Tigers have already locked up the relegation in advance in the remaining 9 rounds of the tournament. However, Yu Genwei emphasized many times in the post-match interviews and press conferences that the team still needs to make an all-out sprint, not satisfied with relegation, but striving for a higher ranking. This shows that Golden Gate Tigers still need to strengthen their training in the following matches, especially the problems of consecutive oolongs at the defense end and the lack of cooperation between the midfield and the front field, which will be the key to the team's future development.
The current Chinese Super League table shows a clear echelon in the distribution of teams. Although the title favorites Wuhan Sanzhen defeated Henan Songshan Longmen 3-1 in a match, Shandong Taishan beat Hebei 4-0 to lead the way with three points. These two teams are firmly in the top tier. Shanghai Port is ranked with 49 points, 10 points behind Wuhan Sanzhen and 7 points ahead of Zhejiang, making the situation slightly embarrassing. If there are no major changes in the remaining 9 rounds, the possibility of Shanghai Port overtaking Wuhan Three Town is low. The fourth to ninth teams on the list have similar points and may be caught up if they are not careful, which is undoubtedly the most competitive echelon. From Golden Gate Tigers to Wuhan Three Towns, despite the large difference in points, every win is crucial for the Golden Gate Tigers who are eager to move forward. If they want to equal the ninth-placed Meizhou Hakka, the five-point gap is no easy task. With the CSL currently suspended, the FA Cup fixtures will determine the future direction of the Golden Gate Tigers. The coaching staff will need to weigh whether to increase the number of matches to gain experience or to solve the problem through more training.
Despite the overall good condition of the Golden Gate Tigers, it is unfortunate that Barton, who was seriously injured in the last match against Changchun Yatai, drew the first goal and blew the counterattack for the team. MRI results showed that he suffered a knee bone contusion and is feared to be unable to participate in all the matches in November, which undoubtedly adds difficulties to the Golden Gate Tigers' personnel arrangements. Meanwhile, the team should also be wary of injuries in the later stages of the league to avoid repeating the same mistakes.
