Beijing Guoan was defeated by Shanghai Seaport by a score of 1 to 3 in a key match, and the loss of the match was doubly painful for the fans. Only 4 minutes into the match, Guoan fell behind 0-2, a situation that was unacceptable to the fans. One of the two goals conceded was a beautiful counter-attack by the harbor team, which caught Guoan unsteady; the other was a personal mistake of the players. The reason for such a passive situation is widely believed to be the 3 center back formation adopted by Guoan's manager Bilic. In the starting list announced before the match, three players, Yu Dabao, Yu Yang and Kim Min Ja, returned to the starting lineup, forming a three center back system. However, from the whole game, Guoan did not fully adapt to this formation, resulting in the team's rhythm being disrupted.
Soccer commentator Yuan Ye's analysis
Regarding this game, soccer commentator Yuan Ye said, "From the data after the game, Guoan team completely dominated in terms of ball control and shooting, but still lost the game in the end. Was Guoan's loss due to strength or fate? Personally, I think it was a natural disaster plus a man-made disaster. Natural disaster means Guoan shouldn't have conceded two goals in the first 4 minutes of the game, and they were both our own mistakes. To concede one in the opening 45 seconds, and then to give the opponent a big gift in less than 4 minutes really shows the team's lack of preparation and slowness. Of course, you can't say that fate was not on the side of the Nationals.
From the whole game, Guoan team still has problems in the defensive end. Adopting the three center back formation, Guoan team is not too adaptable. Although the three center backs seem to increase the number of players, the four backs system is more balanced. Now, the original two wingbacks have become Li Lei and Wang Gang of the wingbacks, who play differently and out of the ball. Li Lei used to find the wingbacks directly to play the ball, but now he has to find the backs to play the ball, which forces him to play the ball more laterally and maybe make some mistakes. Therefore, the 3 center backs cannot be said to be unsuitable for Guoan's team, but the team needs to have a deeper understanding of this formation and playing style to be able to use it in actual matches."
After two straight losses, fans are questioning whether Bilic should step down. Indeed, Bilic is facing a crisis of confidence. In these two matches, Bilic was controversial in his formation, such as substituting Sosa to play center back, and then replacing Liu Huan and putting Sosa in front. This shows that Bilic still needs to improve in understanding the team. Although the first two goals conceded cannot be blamed entirely on the head coach, the fans did find it hard to bear. Next up, Guoan will face Dalian Ren, Wuhan and Hebei, and if Bilic can win these matches, he still has a chance to survive the dismissal crisis. It is indeed very difficult for Bilic now. In the first 5 matches of the first phase, the team must remain stable. Because at the end of May, the national soccer team will compete in the Top 40 tournament, the real adjustment of the team can only wait until after 5 rounds of the league."
