At 16:30 yesterday afternoon, Tianjin Jinmen Tigers and Beijing Guoan shook hands in a 0:0 draw in the 6th round of the season's Chinese Super League (CSL), earning a valuable point for the second half of the first phase of the league. This much-anticipated "boring draw" battle, like yesterday's 0:0 stalemate between Wuhan and Shanghai seaport at the same time in the Gusu district, also triggered heated debate. Guoan player Yu Dabao, who used to play for Tianjin, commented in a post-match interview: "The game was not as good as it should have been, but we all finished the game in good health. ......"
The sun shone brightly in Gusau on that day, the hottest day for the Jinmen Tigers since their arrival on the 16th of this month. Although the forecast high temperature was as high as 33 degrees Celsius, the outdoor environment of the game under direct sunlight was enough to make people realize the hardship of the Jinmen Tigers. In particular, the game was played outside the Gusu Olympic Sports Center, where players from both sides waited in the shadows of a makeshift color plate room before the game, and many Tianjin fans could feel the heat through their TV screens. The southern people's description of the heat - "electric fan blowing out the wind like a hair dryer" and "where cool where to stay" - is full of concern for the Jinmen Tigers.
Faced with the formation is not complete but still has a number of international players in the lineup of Guoan team, Jinmen Tiger's starting lineup includes Teng Shangkun, Kadar, Li Songyi, Jin Yangyang, etc., tactics clearly for the defensive counterattack. In the first half, although Guoan team dominated in possession and shooting, but the Jinmen Tigers players concentrate, handle the ball properly, the situation on the field is not one-sided.
In the second half, the Tsimshatsui Tigers made three substitutions, sending in newly-acquired foreigner Magno Cruz and veterans Bai Yuefeng, Cong Zhen, and Park Taoyu, as well as new domestic helper Wang Jiannan. Jin Yangyang had a stable outing, while the addition of Magno brightened up the fans' eyes. His excellent awareness, clear passing and individual skills were on full display in just over 30 minutes, and the several attacks he instigated posed a huge threat to the Guoan goal, especially the missed opportunity by Su Yuanjie.
Jinmen Tigers managed to neutralize Guoan's intensive attack in the last ten minutes of the game, and the two teams ended up with a 0:0 draw, in which goalkeeper Teng Shangkun played a key role. Guoan, who had won three consecutive matches, failed to continue their winning streak. Head coach Bilic expressed his regret for the draw, but also recognized the performance of the Jinmen Tigers. Jinmen Tigers head coach Yu Genwei spoke highly of the performance of Jin Yangyang and Magno, while saying that the team still needs to improve, especially in the offensive end failed to play the results of training.
The temporary lounge in the outfield of the Gusu Olympic Sports Center is very small, and before the game and at halftime, the staff of the two teams even need to wait at the door, leaving the limited space for those who need it most. After the game, the head coaches and players of both teams had to go to the infield press conference room a few hundred meters away to attend the post-game conference, and the players also had to go to the infield to take a shower, back and forth, until the team left the field to return to the hotel, it was already more than an hour after the game. In these 9 rounds of matches in the heat of the summer, the Jinmen Tigers maintained stability, the next need to maintain good condition, try to solve the problem, and strive for better results, as a reward for the hard work in the preparation period.
