A 1-1 draw at Shanghai Shenhua meant Hebei had completed the first stage of its campaign successfully as Hebei's fifth-round showdown with Beijing Guoan was postponed.
After four rounds of competition, the Hebei team has accumulated 8 points with 2 wins and 2 draws, maintaining an undefeated gold body, a result that the Hebei team is quite proud of.
Backbone after the Big Six
If we assess the strength of the teams at this stage, Shanghai Harbor, Beijing Guoan, Guangzhou, Shandong Taishan, Shanghai Shenhua and Shenzhen are undoubtedly the six giants, and their strength should not be underestimated.
After four rounds, Taishan leads the table with 10 points, Shanghai Harbor and Shanghai Shenhua are tied with 8 points, Guangzhou and Shenzhen are both at 7 points, and Beijing Guoan has 6 points. Hebei, on the other hand, has also become a force to be reckoned with, with 8 points.
Geographic location helps, strength can not be underestimated
While Hebei's favorable geographic location helped rack up points, the matchup with Shenhua also showed that Hebei didn't get high scores based on geography alone.
Outside of the Top 6, the Riverhounds are perhaps one of the top three most battle-tested teams of the remaining 10.
A balanced defense with Malcolm in the front line, Yin Hongbo, Wang Qiuming and Paulinho in the midfield, and strong players like Zhang Chengdong, Memishevich and Pan Ximing in the back line.
Despite a reliable starting lineup, the bench is slightly weak, with young players such as Cui Lin, Mou Xuchen, and Liao Wei turning heads.
Solid and cohesive strength base
Not only does the Riverhounds have a solid power base, but they also have a strong cohesive team.
In the past, the Hebei team has attracted many international players and top foreign aiders, but its performance has been sporadic and lacked cohesion. With the restructuring of the team, there are now only two international players left, Zhang Chengdong and Yin Hongbo, and the team structure is much purer.
Head coach Kim Jong-woo elaborated on the direction of his team's transformation, emphasizing that technique, tactics and fitness will be the key breakthroughs during the intermission.
In the face of the next challenge, the Hebei team needs to be well prepared and work hard to improve its strength to ensure that it is invincible in the fierce competition.
