Written by Mr. Jamie Mcllroy, Wuhan correspondent of WildEastFootball
原标题: Mushekwi Survives Battering to Batter Shenzhen and Refs in the Spotlight: China League One – Round 8
导读: 中甲第8轮比赛中，另一场焦点比赛是杭州绿城客场挑战刚换上高洪波担任主帅的北京北控。全华班出战的杭州绿城客场获胜，升至积分榜第4，而北京北控则继续排名垫底。
Things Go from Bad to Worse for Lijiang, Despite New Manager
Xinjiang Tianshan Leopard 1 Gueye 57′
Yunnan Lijiang 0
Attendance: 3,125
We reported last week how Lijiang were having a very tough start to their debut season in League One, and so it was no surprise that Korean manager Lim Jong-heon resigned ahead of their mid-week CFA Cup defeat to Shanghai Shenhua. His replacement is Zhang Biao, who oversaw the club’s promotion last year, but there were no signs of things getting any better as the club fell to defeat in Xinjiang.
Indeed, a 1-0 defeat in Urumqi to second half goal from Babacar Gueye is nothing to be ashamed of, but the bigger story is another poor performance and two injuries which could be crucial if they turn out to be serious. Before the game even kicked off, Brazilian centre back Johnny was ruled out after injuring himself in the warm-up and compatriot Kaio limped off in the first half to significantly weaken Lijiang’s attack.
The man who took Lijiang to the League Two championship last season may be able to inspire his cash-strapped side to greater things, but he will need to get them going soon. A repeat of last year’s final against Baoding Yingli Yitong this coming weekend looks like the perfect place to start, but their is little cause for optimism at the moment.
Cui Kai Saves Transcendence from Missing out on Top Half
Baoding Yingli Yitong 1
Sun Jiangshan 36′
Dalian Transcendence 2
Wang Hongyou 33′ (pen), 44′
Attendance: 4,905
Dalian Transcendence’s remarkable transformation continued this week as they won away to Baoding Yingli Yitong in order to climb into the top half of the League One table. Since shipping nine goals in the process of losing their first two games of the year, Rusmir Cviko’s men have now picked up 13 points from their last six – a record only bested by second place Beijing Renhe over the same period.
As has been the pattern during this purple patch, Transcendence’s victory came in a tight, hard-fought game but this week they were especially reliant on goalkeeper Cui Kai to give them the win over a Baoding side who continue to play well without getting the results they deserve. All the goals came in a 12 minute first half flurry which began and finished with Wang Hongyou. The centre back scored a penalty after Baoding’s U23 right-back Yang Zexiang felled Jailton Paraiba and Wang struck a sweet volley just before half time directly from a Hu Zhaojun corner.
Sandwiched in between Wang’s goals was an equaliser from Sun Jiangshan who put the ball in the net at the second time of asking after his close range header had been spectacularly clawed away by Cui. That had been the 30-year-old’s third save of the match, and he would go on to make four more vital stops before the full-time whistle blew to give Transcendence yet another narrow victory and take them to heights which seemed improbable just two months ago.
Hangzhou Overcome Problems to Win and Make Light of BG’s Excuses
Beijing BG 2
Liu Yi 42′, Wang Jianwen 90+4′
Hangzhou Greentown 3
Zang Yifeng 10′, Chen Xiao 31′, Gao Huaze 40′
Attendance: 4,586
Last week, we highlighted some of the major problems Gao Hongbo faces after taking charge of Beijing BG, but Hangzhou Greentown have been facing bigger issues and handed the former China national team boss his second straight defeat this week. Gao may be without injured striker Leke James, but opposite number Hong Myung-bo started this weekend’s game without a single foreign player available and with four U-20 players in his first XI.
Last weekend, Denilson Gabionetta joined Matthew Spiranovic and Anselmo Ramon in the ranks of Hangzhou’s injured foreign player list and Hong continues to follow owner Song Weiping’s policy of giving as many U-20 players as possible a chance in the first team. None of that stopped Hangzhou from earning their first away victory of the season, though, as the visitors found themselves 3-0 up inside the first 40 minutes thanks to goals from Zang Yifeng, Chen Xiao and Gao Huaze. Liu Yi pulled one back for BG just two minutes after Gao struck Hangzhou’s third, but BG were unable to make their constant pressure pay in the second half and had to settle for a stoppage time thunderbolt from Wang Jianwen as nothing more than a consolation.
The absence of James and poor performances of Rubin Okotie and Cheik Tiote are no doubt having an effect on BG, but Hangzhou’s win makes a mockery of those excuses. Gao Hongbo is well known for his tinkering and strange team selections, but he largely chose the most logical side available this week with the exception of inexperienced centre-back Zhang Junzhe who he chose to start at right-back. This meant Hangzhou left-winger Zang Yifeng had a particularly fruitful afternoon, but the entire front four of him, Luo Jing, Cheng Jin and Gao Huaze all performed extremely well in the first half. Meanwhile, 20-year-old defensive midfield Wu Wei seems to be showing significant signs of progress every week.
In contrast, the only real silver-lining in BG’s cloud-strewn sky is the goal scoring form of midfielder Wang Jianwen who is now the league’s top Chinese marksman with four. That wouldn’t be so notable if BG weren’t the only team in the league this season yet to have a foreign goal scorer. but Hangzhou managed just fine this week and Gao Hongbo needs to draw a lesson from them and get the best out of what he’s got.
Patience of Wuhan Fans May Already Be Running Out
Wuhan Zall 0
Shijiazhuang Ever Bright 1
Mulenga 4′
Attendance: 12,353
Wuhan Zall’s disappointing start to the season continued this week as they suffered their first home defeat of the year courtesy of Shijiazhuang Ever Bright. Jacob Mulenga took less than four minutes to score the only goal of the game when he pounced on Wang Peng’s poorly defended long throw and the hosts offered little in the way of a fightback. Foreign attackers Jean Evrad Kouassi, Sam Johnson and Marcelo Moreno may all have been having off days, but the biggest problem was in a midfield that seemed to be struggling to string two passes together.
As the first half wore on, the 12,000+ in attendance grew increasingly impatient and things hist a fever pitch early in the second period when Moreno hit the post with a penalty. The spot kick had been harshly awarded when Johnson’s header struck Zheng Kaimu’s hand at very close range, and Wuhan’s failure to take advantage cost them dearly.
Attendance at the Wuhan Sports Centre have obviously already declined from the remarkable 41,000 who were present for the season opener, but 12,000 is still almost three times the average the club were getting at the Xinhua Road Stadium last season. The rise in crowd numbers has come as a direct result of pre-season optimism that the club may actually be legitimate promotion contenders, but that is wearing off fast. Supporters were streaming out of the ground with 10 minutes remaining and, perhaps more worryingly, captain and long time servant Yao Hanlin was coming in for some strong abuse from supporters who were frustrated by his ineffective display as an offensive midfielder.
Zall’s next two games are away to Shenzhen FC and at home to Beijing Renhe. If results don’t go their way across those matches, Wuhan’s promotion hopes would be all but gone for another year and a majority of the club’s fickle fanbase will likely depart with them.