The 29th round of the Chinese Super League ended with the title on the line. In this marquee matchup, Taishan failed to convert their numerical superiority into a victory. Although they tried their best to equalize the score, a one-point gap was obviously difficult to fill. After all, the gap between them and the harbor was already five points, and the only way to maintain the suspense was to win. Tarzan had to settle for a draw, and watched Harbor win the cup. Admittedly, Tarzan's strength in winning the Asian Cup for two consecutive years is not to be doubted, but there are still inadequacies in the details, especially in the key mistakes, which fell short of the expected goal.
However, the fighting spirit of Taishan players cannot be denied, and individual players even fought for the victory. In the 17th minute, Wang Tong lost his balance to avoid Oscar's flying shovel and fell heavily on the field. After a short check, Wang Tong was unable to hold on and retired in pain. Taishan team attached great importance to this and sent Wang Tong to the hospital for the first time. After imaging examination, Wang Tong's left leg was seriously injured, with a dislocated patella, fractured lower pole and damaged ligaments. Surgery was recommended after expert consultation.
Accordingly, Wang Tong bid an early farewell to the 2023 season. Looking back, the 30-year-old Wang Tong was the main flyhalf of Taishan and was relied upon by Choi Kang-hee. In one season, he played 28 games, including 19 starts, and contributed 4 assists. With his outstanding performance, Wang Tong was selected for the national team and became an international player. The injury, with its long recovery cycle, was a severe test for Wang Tong. On the one hand, the injury itself, the recovery cycle may be longer at 30 years old, the leg injury affects walking, and even if it is recovered, it will take some time for the body to recover.
On the other hand, with Wang Tong as the starter, Taishan is in a fierce competition for positions in the Chinese Super League. Once a player is injured, other players will fill the void. After the latter has stabilized his position, Wang Tong will face more pressure to return to the starting lineup, with the primary goal being to get back into the starting position.
As for the national team, I'm afraid we need to perform better. After all, the coach declared that Kovic's selection trend is more in favor of young players, and the number of international players over 30 years old continues to decrease. According to the schedule, Taishan's 30th round opponent is Henan, as it has already locked the runner-up, the pressure of the game is not great, and the impact of Wang Tong's absence is limited. However, in the AFC Cup final, Wang Tong was unable to play, and the overall strength of the Taishan team was damaged.
