Wuhan Sanzhen player Deng Hanwen (left) celebrates his goal passionately, Photo/Photo/icphoto
On the night of November 8, Beijing Guoan lost 0-2 to Wuhan Sanzhen at home in the CSL 24th round of the CSL, the myth of eight rounds of undefeated was shattered, and the new coach Stanley tasted his first defeat after taking office. The victory put Wuhan Sanzhen back in the lead of the table.
the sting of defeat
Guoan suffers another "special" defeat
For Beijing Guoan, the 24th round match with Wuhan Sanzhen is a "special" match. Recalling the first round match in August, Guoan suffered a 1-5 defeat on the road, and then coach Xie Feng announced his resignation. The result of this match may affect the Super League title. Shandong Taishan once led the way after beating Shanghai Shenhua the day before, while Wuhan Sanzhen will surrender the top spot if they fail to win this round.
Before the match, Stanley emphasized the importance of midfield control. In the last round of the battle with Henan Songshan Longmen, Guoan midfield suffered suppression, despite the eventual victory, but the process is slightly passive. Facing Wuhan three towns, Guoan coach's strategy is "midfield scramble", emphasizing through the running to pull away from the opponent, "no matter what to run more than the opponent."
However, in the first 45 minutes, Guoan was still in a disadvantageous position. Toward the end of the first half, Housen had an unfortunate fall while attacking, and Deng Hanwen easily shot into an empty net. After Yi Jianlian came on, Guoan launched a counterattack. Jiang Xiangyou and Adebenelo missed good chances and Bai Yang was penalized for a foul on Davidson in the 92nd minute. Edmilson hit the penalty to make the final score 2-0.
As of now, Wuhan Sanzhen and Shandong Taishan both won their crucial matches in the 24th round, and both teams are tied with 59 points, with Wuhan Sanzhen temporarily taking the top spot on goal difference. Shanghai Port are third after a 2-0 win over Cangzhou Lions, Zhejiang have moved up to fourth after a 5-1 win over Guangzhou, while Beijing Guoan have dropped to seventh, six points adrift of Shanghai Port.
Guoan players give thanks after the game. icphoto
reassessment
Two unexpected goals conceded, problems on both offense and defense
Beijing Guoan was defeated by Wuhan Sanzhen 0-2 in the second half of extra time, and was "doubled" by their opponents for the second consecutive game. Coach Stanley didn't criticize the players after the game, he thought it was unfortunate that Housen fell because of the slippery field, "Our goalkeeper did a great job and made many key saves. If the first half had been 0-0, it would have been a good result, but unfortunately we missed a goal we shouldn't have conceded."
The penalty in injury time stemmed from a foul by Bai Yang in the box, and Stanley didn't forget to console the young player, "At that time, we put all our hopes on the offense, that's why the penalty came. We played well in the second half. I told the players that they should be satisfied with their performance in the second half."
The data showed that Guoan had 55% possession, more passes, steals and free kicks than Wuhan Sanzhen, but fewer shots and shots on goal than their opponents. Stanley said: "The failure came from the offense and defense, because the two go hand in hand. Our opponents put us under a lot of pressure up front and we could only play long passes in attack but could not control the two penalty corners effectively. This was especially evident in the first half."
Stanley also admitted that it was a "different kind of opponent" and that "it's hard to create chances and score goals against top opposition. Our opponents are very good defensively, which makes it impossible for us to control the ball and for open players to move effectively. When there is too much space in the game, opponents have good players to utilize that space. They do a good job on both offense and defense. Facing them is really different than facing other teams."
Guoan captain Yu Dabao summed up the game by continuing to polish the details.Guoan will end its eight-round unbeaten run on November 13 when it hosts Wuhan Changjiang.
