Zhejiang Team: Facing off against the championship contenders, unwilling to be just a backdrop.

Written by / Zuo Rui On the evening of the 10th, the Hangzhou-Beijing battle set a ticket sales record for Zhejiang Greentown, with 34,175 fans at Huanglong Sports Center witnessing the team's largest scoreline of the season. From 3-1 to 3-4, although the three-game winning streak came to an end, the team's vigorous performance in the second half, playing with 10 men against 11, still deserves applause from the fans.

After strengthening during the summer transfer window, head coach Kaneda is also filled with confidence. Before the match, he stated that this week he had conducted extensive training and strategies against the opponent, just as he had before. “To prove that we are also a strong team, playing at home is a great opportunity.” He hopes to "secure the match" with the fans' support and challenge for a spot in the top five of the Chinese Super League.

At the start of the match, the home team lined up in a 5-2-3 formation: goalkeeper Zhao Bo; three center-backs Liu Haofan, Lucas, and Zhang Aihui; wing-backs Tong Lei and Sun Guowen; double defensive midfielders Li Tixiang and Zhang Jiaqing; forwards Mitriță, Yago, and Wang Yudong. As one of the new signings in the summer window, Yago had scored 3 goals in three substitute appearances prior, marking his first start in the Chinese Super League.

In this lineup, it is noteworthy that Zhang Aihui, who hails from Beijing, has transitioned from campus football to the professional arena, from youth competitions to the Chinese Super League, and from Beihang University to the Zhejiang FC youth training. Zhang Aihui believes that with the team's collective effort, they can certainly "achieve ideal results" amid the cheers of the home fans. It sounds like this young man from Beijing is quite confident about overturning his hometown team.

From the first half's performance, facing a formidable opponent like Beijing Guoan, although Yago managed to draw some attention, his role as a forward pivot was not very evident, with few effective passes or breakthroughs, and he often became the starting point for the away team’s transitions. In contrast, Mitriță showcased outstanding performance thanks to his exceptional individual skills, and Wang Yudong also had a commendable display.

In the 20th minute, Wang Yudong capitalized on an opponent's clearance error to bypass the goalkeeper and shoot towards the near corner, but the defending player managed to clear the ball off the line. Zhejiang seized the opportunity to execute a tactical corner kick, with Mitriță receiving the ball and passing to the back post, where the two Brazilians Yago and Lucas jumped simultaneously, with Lucas scoring the first goal with a header.

Although Guoan equalized with a long-range shot just two minutes later and created several opportunities in the subsequent confrontations, Zhao Bo managed to save two shots from Zhang Yuning. In the second minute of stoppage time, Zhang Aihui made a steal, Wang Yudong assisted, and Mitriță dribbled past an opponent to shoot towards the far corner, scoring again. The Romanian has netted 7 goals in 6 matches, climbing to second place on the team’s scoring chart. The score of 2-1 also gave Zhejiang a solid first half.

The second half started with a goal fest. In the 46th minute, Wang Yudong made a long run down the right, charging into the box to score a one-on-one goal, marking his 11th league goal of the season. The score of 3-1 put the home team in a fantastic position. No one expected the match would soon hit a turning point.

In the 53rd minute, Cao Yongjing pulled one back with a long-range shot. This goal was strikingly similar to the previous one; despite the home team’s three-center-back system remaining intact, two players were again blocking at the edge of the box, but both long-range shots went through the defenders' legs.

In the 61st minute, substitute Cheng Jin was sent off after a VAR review deemed his challenge a stomp. Zhejiang lost a key player, and the double defensive midfielders are crucial in their tactical system—Zhejiang also lodged an appeal regarding this red card decision after the match. In the 63rd minute, with the defense lacking support, Guoan launched a cross from the right, and Fabio scored with a header, making it 3-3; in the 76th minute, the home team’s aerial defense faltered again, allowing Fabio to assist with a header, and substitute Wang Ziming scored, making it 3-4, completing the comeback for the away team.

Despite Cheng Jin's exit, Kaneda quickly adjusted the personnel, substituting Wang Shiqin for the underperforming Yago. Before the home team was reversed, they nearly regained the lead, but unfortunately, Wang Yudong's brilliant cut-in shot in the 72nd minute was saved by the goalkeeper. In the 80th minute, the home team, unwilling to fall behind, made a final push, substituting Ouwusu and Liang Noheng for Sun Guowen and Zhang Aihui. With Cheng Jin's red card leaving them a man down and the opponent's attack still strong, Kaneda had few options left to change the game.

The stoppage time lasted a lengthy 14 minutes, and the strong Ouwusu created some excitement on the right but failed to provide direct support to the front line. In the 94th minute, the interaction between Mitriță and Wang Yudong resulted in a shot, but the latter's left-footed attempt went wide, failing to score again. In the 101st minute, Mitriță's curling shot to the far corner went over, marking Zhejiang's last effort to equalize, resulting in their first home loss of the season.

Due to the strengthening during the summer transfer window, the outside world generally holds high expectations for Zhejiang's performance in the second half of the season, and Kaneda indeed has ideas, not wanting to merely be a backdrop in matches against the top four teams contending for the championship. After losing to Guoan with one less player, on the 16th, Zhejiang Greentown will continue to host another championship contender, Shanghai Shenhua. Additionally, the team still has home matches against Chengdu Rongcheng and away matches against Shanghai Port to play. Although the home battle against Guoan ended in disappointment, this team, aiming to return to the ranks of the strong, still has the ability to influence the dynamics at both ends of the Chinese Super League.