Dalian Yingbo: First time earning points against the BIG4

Special contributor/Ding Xu Seemingly indifferent Dalian Yingbo Haifa, despite leading twice in front of an "80,000-strong crowd," were controversially pegged back by a penalty in stoppage time. The match ended 2-2 as Dalian Yingbo Haifa narrowly drew with Shanghai Shenhua. Although they failed to secure three points, the team gained their first points against a BIG4 opponent.

Before this round, Yingbo’s form was not satisfactory, with two draws and two defeats in the last four matches and a record of one draw and three losses in their last four away games. To break out of their slump, the entire Yingbo squad wore custom suits from their sponsor, heading to Shanghai with a refreshed spirit. Compared to the previous round, Yingbo changed three starters: Liao Jintao rested on the bench, Labuyad was sidelined due to injury, and Cao Haiqing was suspended after accumulating four yellow cards. Alimi returned from injury, Mao Weijie started for the first time in 12 rounds, and Wen Jiabao returned to the starting lineup after six rounds, making his first appearance in front of the "80,000 crowd" against his former club in a year.

Notably, Yingbo’s head coach Li Guoxu employed a 4-1-4-1 formation for the first time this season, with Pena dropping back to a wide attacking midfield role. Previously, Yingbo had used a 5-4-1 formation at home against Shenhua, away at Haigang, at home versus Rongcheng, and away at Guoan, all resulting in poor performances and losses. From this match, Li Guoxu’s tactical adjustments proved targeted and practical. This was partly because Shenhua had played their full-strength squad in the AFC Champions League Elite Round against Seoul last Wednesday, securing their first win of the season but leaving them less fit.

“For this match, we changed our approach to play counterattacks within a deep defensive setup. This style is not common for us, but given Shenhua’s strength, squad depth, and current form, we had to adopt this strategy. Judging by the match outcome, I think it was very successful; the players made good use of the spaces and scored goals,” Li Guoxu said after the game about his tactical plan.

After kickoff, both sides played attacking football, making for an exciting spectacle. In the 25th minute, Zhu Pengyu dribbled centrally, and Lv Zhuoyi on the right side skillfully bypassed Gao Tianyi before unleashing a left-footed shot near the penalty arc that curled just inside the left post. Dalian Yingbo Haifa took the lead away from home thanks to this spectacular goal.

In the 39th minute, Pena delivered a through ball from the center, and Liu Zhurun finished calmly from the left side of the penalty spot, putting Yingbo Haifa 2-0 up. Shenhua, trailing by two goals, quickly pulled one back four minutes later: Zhu Chenjie played a direct pass from midfield, Wu Xi received the ball facing away near the penalty arc, turned, broke through strongly to the penalty spot, and scored with a low shot.

During stoppage time of the first half, Liu Zhurun capitalized on a rebound to score, but the goal was ruled offside, nullifying Yingbo’s luck. Shenhua escaped a scare. In the first half, Yingbo led in shots (7 to 5), shots on target (4 to 3), and free kicks (4 to 2), which is a rare advantage when facing strong teams.

After the break, Shenhua intensified their attack, eager to equalize. Gao Tianyi’s shot was saved by Huang Zihao, and Wu Xi’s tight-angle shot hit the crossbar. While withstanding Shenhua’s pressure, Yingbo’s counterattacks were also dangerous; Pena’s long-range shot tested Xue Qinghao. In stoppage time, Shenhua’s attacks surged, with Wang Haijian hitting the crossbar and Wu Xi falling after challenging Bi Jinhao in the air. Shenhua earned a penalty in the final moments, which Andre converted to level the score.

Li Guoxu summarized after the match: “The team has some injuries, making player selection difficult, but we still followed our tactical plan and achieved results. We are also trying new things, including giving many young players chances, which is what we want. We value the process more than the result, but our attitude towards the game is serious.” Lv Zhuoyi, who scored the spectacular goal, said post-match: “The whole team played very united and resiliently; it was one of our better performances, and we are all satisfied.”

The full-match statistics showed Yingbo outperformed Shenhua in shots on target (6 to 5), tackles (27 to 19), interceptions (7 to 4), and free kicks (13 to 8), reflecting a very strong performance.

Although missing out on all three points in Shanghai was somewhat disappointing, it marked a significant breakthrough for Yingbo. In the past two seasons, whether in China League One or the Super League, Yingbo failed to earn any points or even score against the top three teams. This season, Yingbo also has no wins in three matches against Guoan — home, away, and in the FA Cup.

Additionally, one of the captains, young player Zhu Pengyu, received a red card after two yellow cards for dissent in the 16th minute of stoppage time while already substituted off. He will miss the next away game against Meizhou Hakka. Of course, the U20 group of the National Games will be held from November 1 to 12, and even without the red card, Zhu Pengyu would not be able to travel south to Wuhua. After this round, Yingbo remains 10th in the Super League standings. In the final two rounds of the league, Yingbo will visit Meizhou and host Haigang. Could Yingbo become the decisive factor in both relegation battles and championship contests?