Yangcheng Evening News
At 5:30 p.m., Guangzhou soccer team will compete with Shanghai Harbor in the fourth round of the first phase of the Chinese Super League. This was originally regarded as a summit match between the top Chinese Super League powerhouses, but due to the decline of Guangzhou's strength, the balance of victory seems to have been tilted in favor of Shanghai Harbor.
After three rounds of matches in the new Chinese Super League (CSL) season, Guangzhou's young players were the mainstay of the team, but they were defeated by Shanghai Shenhua, Wuhan Sanzhen, and Wuhan Changjiang for the first time in the team's history, recording three consecutive defeats in the opening rounds, and being the only team in the league that has yet to break the goal scoring drought.
In the last round of the match against Wuhan Changjiang, Guangzhou took 13 shots on goal, showing their best offensive performance of the season so far, and were just one goal away from breaking the deadlock, which is certainly a positive sign. Skipper Liu Zhiyu said that the players in the attacking line have worked very hard, and it takes time to gel between the young players and those who have performed well before, "We have made multiple attempts and efforts in attack."
In the face of three consecutive losses, Liu Zhiyu bluntly: "From the formation of the team so far, we have always maintained a sense of crisis. Now we do not set goals, is to fight one game at a time, all the players are working hard to fight, now the most important thing is to put down the burden, focus on the moment."
Against Shanghai Shenhua in the first round and Wuhan Changjiang in the last round, Guangzhou adopted a four-guard defense strategy, and eventually conceded only one goal in the two games. In this game, the main defender Wu Shaocong returned from suspension, and the team is expected to continue to play with four defenders, first based on defense, and then look for attacking opportunities. "After three league games, the players are gradually familiarizing and adapting to the rhythm of the league. The key to this game is who makes fewer mistakes and who is more focused." Liu Zhiyu said. Wu Shaocong, who also attended the pre-match conference, said that the team is improving in every game, "As long as we continue to improve our shortcomings, the victory will come eventually."
Shanghai Harbour Team won their first match of the season with a 2-0 victory over Hebei in the last round, with two newcomers Zhang Linpeng and N'Diaye both scoring their first goals. The biggest attraction of the match will be the return of Zhang Linpeng and Xu Xin, who is back from a two-round suspension, to face their old masters.
Although Shanghai Seaports is missing two foreigners, Oscar and Muy, and the pre-season preparation is not systematic, the overall strength of the team is still significantly stronger than that of Guangzhou. Manager Leco also believes that the team's performance in the last round of offense and defense has been significantly improved, coupled with the recovery of the new recruits, this is undoubtedly a serious test for Guangzhou, which is in the midst of a losing streak.
