On a hot day in Tianjin, the Jinmen Tigers welcomed Shenzhen to the Tuanpo soccer stadium for a pre-match warm-up that coincided with the start of the second half of the first phase of the Chinese Super League. Under the hot and humid weather, Shenzhen beat the Jinmen Tigers 2:0 with first half goals from outside backs Caldecott and Vaccaro.
Despite the sweaty outdoors on the first day of ambush, and the Shenzhen team's prior expectation of a closed game, many fans still flocked to the Tuanbo soccer stadium, eager to witness the showdown. After urgent negotiations between the two sides, the stands were finally opened to the fans.
The starting goalkeeper of Jinmen Tigers was still held by Fang Jingqi, while the other positions consisted of players such as Zhou Tong, Kadar and Gao Jiayun. The team continued their defensive counter-attacking tactics, and Zhao Yingjie had a thrilling moment when a free kick hit the lintel before the end of the second half.
In the second half, the Jinmen Tigers made a massive substitution, with newcomers such as Li Songyi and Chen Kerui taking the field. The coaching staff's intention was obvious, i.e., to stimulate each player's potential in the case of limited personnel and to prepare for the next intensive fixture. The highlight of the second half for Shenzhen was the arrival of Achim Peng, who won a warm applause from the fans. Despite the fierce offense and defense in the second half, neither team was able to score again, and Shenzhen finally locked up the win with 2:0. The two teams each won one of their two warm-up matches during their training in Tianjin.
As planned, the Tsimshatsui Tigers will focus on adjusting their training before departing for Suzhou. It will be the biggest challenge for the Tsimshatsui Tigers, as well as the rest of the team, to play high-intensity consecutive matches in the hottest time of the year in the tournament zone in Jiangnan and South China.
