The first thirty rounds of the campaign were not as smooth as expected as we entered the climax of the season, which revealed that the competition in the second division is much tougher than imagined. Fortunately, a series of victories injected the team with a shot in the arm, enabling them to return to the top of the table in the last few rounds, which inspired the players to be even more motivated. The next week's double-header and the match against direct promotion rivals will be a major test of the team's strength.
Castellón de la Plana, the capital of the province of Castellón in the Valencia region, is actually better known as the city of Villarreal within the province. Although the two cities are geographically close to each other, the derby in the province has been slightly cooler in recent years due to the fact that Yellow Submarine has long dominated the upper echelons of La Liga, while Castellón has perennially languished in the lower divisions.
The province of Castellón is famous for ceramics making, so Yellow Submarine's home stadium is also named Ceramic Stadium. Our team set foot on the home ground of Liga B newcomers Castellón for the first time, and the actual feeling was quite good. According to Ruffet, this stadium and Cartagena's home stadium are replicas of La Masia's Mini Stadium, with identical architectural styles except for the different colors. Sadly, the mini-stadium has been dismantled, but it may also be a new way to honor the occasion.
As the team passes through the stadium, everyone is mesmerized by the graffiti kept outside the stadium. According to the team's narrative, the graffiti commemorates the team's glory days since its founding in 1922 and its first appearance in La Liga in 1941. The graffiti on the wall captures the glorious history of that group of players, the local fans and the club, inspiring every new player.
This club may not have a huge fan base and strong financial resources, but with the support of its fans and its own hard work, it has still gone through the course of nearly a century. I'm sure they must have gone through countless hardships to get to where they are today.
When I think of the recent decline of Jiangsu soccer that many of my friends in my circle of friends are lamenting, I, as a native of Nanjing, have mixed feelings in my heart. The players in the team are my extremely good friends, although their careers will continue, but feel sorry for those who have dedicated almost their entire careers to the team.
