Reporter Chen Yong reports Although Haicow held a clear advantage throughout the game, a stunning long-range goal by Kenpanu left them with no choice but to swallow a home loss, suffering a third consecutive defeat. It is worth noting that this is already their second three-game losing streak this season. From a four-game winning streak to a three-game losing streak, Haicow's previously bright survival prospects have become tense.

Dominance without reward

In this match, Haicow fielded four foreign players as starters: center-back Andjelkovic, defensive midfielder Ezuma, attacking midfielder Mesaoudi, and right-winger Yeboah. Their center-forward Strandberg has been sidelined since he was injured in the 13th round match against the Iron Men and is still recovering. In comparison, Tongliang Dragons had one fewer foreign player, fielding only three.

Following injuries to their foreign players, Tongliang Dragons have also fallen into a slump, with four draws and two losses since the 8th round, going six games without a win. However, thanks to their strong start to the season, they still ranked second by the end of the 13th round.

In the first half, possession was nearly even, but Haicow attacked more aggressively, outshooting their opponents 8 to 3 and leading 2 to 0 in corner kicks. However, Haicow created few clear chances and failed to register a single shot on target. Mesaoudi struck the crossbar with a shot that came close to scoring. Overall, the first half was a tightly contested battle with neither side generating exceptional opportunities.

In the second half, Haicow dominated possession even more, but Tongliang Dragons' substitute Kenpanu broke the deadlock in the 63rd minute with a spectacular long-range goal. Despite Haicow's relentless efforts to fight back, they could not find the net and had to accept a 0-1 defeat, marking their third consecutive loss.

Haicow's shift from a four-game winning streak to three straight losses is worth noting. Apart from the away defeat against Guoan, their performances against two newly promoted teams were inconsistent, especially on the offensive end. Once Yeboah was heavily marked, their attack stalled, and Haicow has yet to find another reliable scoring option.

Growing survival pressure

This season, Haicow's performance has been highly volatile: they started with three straight losses, then went 1 win, 2 draws, and 1 loss over the next four games, still without a positive goal difference. However, to everyone's surprise, from the 8th to the 11th round, they reeled off four consecutive wins, defeating Taishan, Haigang, and Yingbo at home and Sanzhen away. After this streak, Haicow briefly climbed to a joint seventh place in the standings.

Though this ranking seemed decent, their pressure was not small. At the time, four teams each had 10 points, followed by Haigang and Guoan, who were bound to climb the standings, while the Iron Men and Henan were also formidable teams further back.

In rounds 12 and 13, Haicow suffered two straight losses, plummeting from seventh to 14th in the standings. Losing to the Iron Men allowed that team to leapfrog them in points. After this latest defeat, Haicow's survival pressure has significantly increased again.

Currently, the teams ahead of Haicow hold only a slim lead. Shenhua, Haigang, and Guoan, though struggling, are unlikely to face relegation given their strong foundations. Meanwhile, top teams like Tongliang Dragons, Yingbo, and Yukun appear to have no survival risk either. Even Henan, after three consecutive wins, is showing a clear upward trend.

Under these circumstances, aside from Tianjin Tigers and Sanzhen, who are currently in the relegation zone, the relegation battle group includes Haicow, the Iron Men, New Pengcheng, and West Coast. While Haicow lost, the Iron Men claimed a resounding away victory over Zhejiang, New Pengcheng triumphed away against Shenhua, and West Coast secured an away win over Yukun—all of them earning three points.

For Haicow, two key tasks lie ahead: first, the entire team must recognize the risks involved and approach every match with greater dedication, fighting for every ball and every opportunity; second, at the technical and tactical level, when Yeboah is heavily marked by opponents, Haicow must develop alternative attacking threats to increase their offensive danger. This is the key to reversing their current predicament.