Chengdu Rongcheng: The initiative to compete for the championship was nearly secured but slipped away again

Reporter Lu Mi reports The Chinese Super League has reached its 28th round, with the title race growing fiercer. In the match earlier on the 26th between Shandong Taishan and Shanghai Port, Taishan staged a comeback to stop Port’s momentum, which meant Chengdu Rongcheng had an excellent chance to surpass Port and reclaim first place. However, facing a well-prepared Qingdao West Coast at home, Rongcheng found themselves on the back foot from the start. Defensive errors twice allowed the opponent to capitalize, and only a last-minute equalizer in stoppage time prevented a defeat. Although they earned a point and narrowed the gap to Port to just one point, the initiative to win the championship still did not return to Chengdu Rongcheng’s hands.

As the league approaches its final stage and the points difference among title contenders remains tight, Chengdu Rongcheng strategically forfeited the midweek AFC Champions League match, fielding a full reserve lineup to prepare for this tough away game. The afternoon match on the 26th between Shandong Taishan and Shanghai Port provided Rongcheng with a great chance to regain the top spot. With Port suffering a reversal, Rongcheng faced both pressure and opportunity.

This match against West Coast was critical, allowing no margin for error. Coach Xu Zhengyuan deployed a full-strength starting lineup, with only Hu Hetao replaced by Gan Chao. Since West Coast had no relegation worries, they played with a more relaxed mindset. Rongcheng needed all three points to reclaim the top position.

At the beginning, both sides played cautiously without rushing forward, engaging in frequent midfield battles. Yang Mingyang received a yellow card in the 6th minute, indicating how fiercely contested the midfield was. The initiative belonged to Rongcheng, who tried to break through the opponent’s defensive lines with short passes starting from the back. However, West Coast’s defensive discipline in midfield and defense was well executed, and in the first 10 minutes, Rongcheng, eager for victory, failed to create any shooting chances.

After some probing, Shao Jiayi’s team began pressing actively, starting from the forwards limiting Rongcheng’s defenders’ passing options. Multiple players pressed successfully in midfield, making it very difficult for Rongcheng to string together passes or advance the ball smoothly to the front. Timely defensive recoveries on the flanks and by central defenders also disrupted Rongcheng’s favored wing-to-center combinations.

Such a match demanded great patience from the players. In the first 25 minutes, Chengdu Rongcheng maintained over 70% possession; Qingdao West Coast had no shots, yet Rongcheng managed only one attempt. Under the pressure applied by the opponent’s defense, it was clear Rongcheng had yet to find a solution.

Suddenly, the situation took a sharp downturn. In the 29th minute, a shocking error occurred in Rongcheng’s defense. Delgado’s mistake near their penalty area allowed the opponent to seize possession. Even with all defenders retreating into the box, Rongcheng’s goal was breached. This was West Coast’s first shot of the match and it broke through the dominant Rongcheng’s defense.

Rongcheng quickly intensified their attacks to recover the score, but this also left space behind for the opponent to exploit, something Shao Jiayi had anticipated. The biggest problem in this half was the opponent cutting off Rongcheng’s passing lanes. Core player Romulo was tightly marked by two defenders, limiting his ability to distribute the ball. West Coast made over 20 interceptions in the first half, severely disrupting Rongcheng’s offense. After the costly error, Delgado lost possession the most times on the team, while Felipe had to shuttle between striker and midfield, disturbing the attacking rhythm.

The first half’s events were unexpected for Rongcheng. At halftime, Xu Zhengyuan decisively made substitutions, bringing on Yan Dinghao and Hu Hetao for Delgado and Li Yang, shifting the formation to 4-3-3. Hu Hetao took the left-back spot, while Yan Dinghao’s introduction aimed to free Zhou Dingyang and Romulo to better utilize their attacking strengths.

After the formation change, Felipe returned to the center with a straightforward task: scoring goals. Just as the team settled into the new rhythm, another mishap occurred. In the 56th minute, a fatal defensive error happened again; Gurfinkel’s pass was intercepted, and Aziz and Davidson combined once more with two passes that pierced Rongcheng’s net. Both halves saw mistakes exploited by the opponent, delivering a devastating blow that heavily affected the team’s morale.

After the match, Xu Zhengyuan said: “Being 0-2 down away from home is a very tough situation for the team. But no matter if there are 10 minutes, 1 minute, or even 10 seconds left in the game, the desire for victory and the players’ full effort on the pitch is something I always emphasize to the squad.”

After taking a two-goal lead, Qingdao West Coast tightened their defense and focused on counterattacks. Rongcheng pushed almost everyone forward, and when they couldn’t break through the opponent’s tight defense in open play, set pieces became crucial opportunities. In the 67th minute, Rongcheng scored from a corner via Felipe, rekindling the team’s hope.

Following that, Hu Hetao’s shot, Zhou Dingyang’s rebound, and even a subsequent corner that created an open chance all came close to leveling the score. In the 84th minute, Xu Zhengyuan substituted Han Pengfei for Romulo, moving the latter to the striker position to form an attacking duo with Felipe. At this point, Xu Zhengyuan had few options left.

Time ticked away, and during stoppage time, Xu Zhengyuan had used all available resources. In the final moments, Chengdu Rongcheng launched their last offensive. In the very last second of extended stoppage time, Felipe received a cross from Timo and completed the equalizer. The 2-2 draw was hard-earned; facing a prepared opponent and balancing pressure with opportunity before the game, the team still showed some flaws in overall response.

Although this draw reduced the points gap with Shanghai Port to just one, the initiative to win the championship remains out of Rongcheng’s hands. Missing the perfect chance to top the table is deeply regrettable for the team. “Today’s match was very disappointing. The team conceded two goals due to their own mistakes, but after falling behind, every player never gave up and fought hard to equalize in the final moments. Overall, the entire squad and coaching staff need to reflect, and we will prepare seriously for the last two rounds,” Xu Zhengyuan said.