Qingdao West Coast prioritizes both results and youth development.

Reporter Chen Yong reports. Since the 5th round of the Chinese Super League, Qingdao West Coast entered an unbeaten mode. By the 15th round, they had achieved 11 consecutive unbeaten matches. Particularly in May, they recorded 2 wins and 5 draws in 7 matches, remaining unbeaten, which quickly brought their points total to 18, ranking sixth in the league. The relegation pressure that once existed dissipated. However, with only half the season played, Qingdao West Coast is not yet at a point to completely relax.

Qingdao West Coast endured a painful start in the first four rounds of the CSL: behind a record of 1 win and 3 losses were two heavy defeats. In four matches, they scored only 3 goals and conceded 11. Although they were ranked 6th, they actually sat at the bottom among teams without point deductions.

In the following seven matches, Qingdao West Coast recorded seven consecutive draws. Although unbeaten, the string of draws severely slowed their point accumulation, causing their ranking to drop to 10th. At that point, the team began to face significant relegation pressure, and the coaching staff also started to feel the strain.

After Qingdao West Coast's 3-2 away victory over the higher-ranked Dalian Yingbo Haifa in the 12th round, the team gained good momentum. In the 14th round, they won again, beating another high-ranked team, Yunnan Yukun, 3-2 away.

In this round's match against Shanghai Shenhua, Qingdao West Coast still performed well. After conceding a goal in the second minute, they managed to take the lead. Although Shanghai Shenhua eventually equalized, Qingdao West Coast's unbeaten run continued. After the match, the team reviewed the game, particularly analyzing the two goals conceded. The first goal resulted from poor defensive positioning despite having more defenders, while the second came from a corner kick defensive lapse.

Currently, Qingdao West Coast has scored 17 goals and conceded 23. Their goals-against average is mid-table, but in the last 11 rounds they have conceded only 12 goals, putting their defense among the best in the CSL. However, their offense is relatively lacking, with only 17 goals, just two more than Henan Club's 16.

During the 11-match unbeaten streak, head coach Zheng Zhi was suspended from round 10 to round 15. While suspended, he still retained full authority over the team, providing clear instructions for pre-match preparations and in-game decisions such as substitutions. In fact, thanks to his coaching staff including local coaches like Huang Bowen and Li Leilei, communication between Zheng Zhi and the on-site coaching team was seamless.

Assistant coach Huang Bowen also played a crucial role in this process. Although major decisions such as the starting lineup, tactical system, and substitutions were still made by Zheng Zhi, Huang Bowen had to make real-time adjustments in the finer aspects of on-field management. Having previously served as an assistant coach for the U23 national team, he gained valuable experience and growth through this process.

Alongside Qingdao West Coast's 11-match unbeaten run, a young star under the age of 18 has attracted more attention — Wang Gengrui, a player from the 2008-born national youth team.

Born on September 16, 2008, Wang Gengrui is a product of Evergrande Football School's youth academy. He previously made the 2008-born national youth team, starting as a key player in the 2023 U15 East Asian Cup victory, and participated in the 2025 U17 Asian Cup with the team. In the 6th round of the CSL, he came on as a substitute in the 23rd minute for the injured He Longhai, and subsequently secured a starting spot for the next nine matches, witnessing all of Qingdao West Coast's 11 unbeaten games.

Apart from Wang Gengrui, his teammate from the 2007-born national youth team, 19-year-old Yang Zhanpeng, has played 12 times this season with 7 starts, averaging 41 minutes per game and scoring one goal. He has become an important rotation player for Qingdao West Coast, and in this round he came off the bench in the 77th minute.

Additionally, another 2007-born national youth team member, 19-year-old center forward Jia Weiwei, has made 9 appearances, all as a substitute, averaging only 7 minutes per game. This clearly demonstrates Qingdao West Coast's focused development of him. The latest news indicates that Wang Gengrui, Yang Zhanpeng, and Jia Weiwei will travel to France to join the U19 national team participating in the Toulon Tournament.

Wang Gengrui, Yang Zhanpeng, and Jia Weiwei all transferred to Qingdao West Coast. In the 2025 season, the club developed three young players—Li Hao, Yang Xi, and Xu Bin. This season, Xu Bin went abroad, Yang Xi joined Shanghai Port, and Li Hao stayed. As a result, while maintaining stable results, Qingdao West Coast has continued its good tradition of developing young players.

For small and medium-sized clubs, fielding a combination of experienced veterans, young players, and quality foreign imports can reduce financial pressure while ensuring stable performance. This is actually a very suitable development approach. Currently, the key to Qingdao West Coast's growth lies in cultivating more fans and making the Qingdao West Coast football brand a sports and cultural landmark in the Qingdao West Coast New Area.