Meizhou Hakka: Just performing well in the first half is not enough.

Reporter Wang Wei reports. In the 0-3 loss, Meizhou Hakka faced Shandong Taishan in Qu Gang's second match as interim coach. Despite the final score, the team's defensive performance in the first half was commendable. After the game, Qu Gang acknowledged the players' determination. "Next, the team should maintain the mindset from the first half and give their best on the field. The hard work will bear fruit."

In this match, Meizhou fielded their strongest lineup, with new foreign recruit Omarson leading the front line; Deng Yubiao organized the midfield alongside Rodrigo and Yang Chaoshen; the two defensive midfielders were Jokic and Zhong Haoran; in defense, the center-backs were captain Liao Junjian and Morris, while the full-backs were Rao Weihui and Wang Jianan, with Guo Quanbo remaining as the goalkeeper.

Before the match, Qu Gang stated that Taishan is an exceptionally strong team. "Both their foreign and domestic players possess great strength, making this match very challenging for us." He revealed that the team had made some targeted preparations and training against Taishan, and the players trained earnestly. "I told the players to give their all, showcase their best form, and present an exciting performance to our fans."

Given the opponent's formidable strength and the away game context, Meizhou primarily adopted a defensive counter-attacking style. However, in terms of both play and statistics, Meizhou was completely suppressed, and conceding only three goals was somewhat fortunate.

Nonetheless, Meizhou had some bright spots in their first-half performance.

All three goals conceded by Meizhou came in the second half, while in the first half, they managed to withstand the opponent's relentless attacks through their hard work and proactive defense, keeping Taishan scoreless.

"We held strong in the first half, and after conceding a goal in the second half, we had a chance to equalize but missed our opportunity. In the upcoming matches, we will follow the coach's rhythm, and I believe we will achieve the desired results," said substitute Yi Xianlong.

Deng Yubiao mentioned that in the past week, under the guidance of the head coach and coaching staff, the team has been actively recovering and undergoing targeted training. "We hope to achieve a good result in the upcoming matches."

This match was Qu Gang's second as interim coach. In his first match, they salvaged a draw against Henan with a last-minute goal, ending a losing streak. Therefore, he hoped the team could continue this momentum and aim for more points, but unfortunately, they faced Taishan, who also needed a win.

After this loss, Meizhou's relegation situation is not optimistic. In this round of matches, Hainan won, putting them just two points ahead of Meizhou. Moreover, Meizhou's schedule is quite tough; after facing Taishan, they will host Haigang, which will be another challenging battle.

"In this match, our players gave their all, especially in the first half. They executed the training content effectively. Everyone knows that Taishan's overall strength is significantly higher than ours. Although we lost, I saw the fighting spirit in the players, which is a significant gain for us. Moving forward, we will continue to analyze the match according to our established plan, study our opponents carefully, and strive to perform well in every game, hoping for positive results," Qu Gang stated.