Suffering a narrow defeat to Guoan, their first home loss, Chongqing Tonglianglong experiences growing pains.

Reporter Lu Mi reports. On May 30, hosting Beijing Guoan, Chongqing Tonglianglong delivered a highly dramatic encounter: from the desperate slump of a passive start and zero shots in the first half, to the resilient counterattack and thrilling comeback in the second half, then to conceding two goals in three minutes near the end and suffering a reverse defeat. This 2-3 home loss was no accidental defeat, but rather a microcosm of the team's recent problems, exposing many issues that need to be resolved as a newly promoted team matures.

Throughout the match, the twists and turns were striking. In the first half, Tonglianglong was completely out of form, with disconnected offense and defense, trapped in a passive situation. Beijing Guoan, with their mature tactical system and steady midfield control, firmly grasped the game's rhythm and continuously pressured Tonglianglong's defense. The team lacked focus at the start, had broken midfield connections, frequent errors in passing from the back, and had no answer to the opponent's high-intensity pressing. They could neither organize effective attacks nor stabilize their defensive shield. In the first half, Tonglianglong recorded embarrassing stats of zero shots and zero corners, completely suppressed by the opponent. After Guoan scored from a set piece in the 34th minute, Tonglianglong ended the half trailing by one goal and in a fully passive state.

After the break, head coach Liu Jianye's tactical adjustments and substitutions revitalized the team. The substitute players ignited the squad's fighting spirit. Tonglianglong discarded their first-half lethargy, significantly increased their offensive and defensive tempo, and their sharp counterattacks gradually tore through Guoan's defense. In the 53rd minute, they capitalized on a precise long pass to complete an offside-trap-breaking goal, leveling the score and breaking the deadlock. With morale boosted, Tonglianglong fought harder and kept attacking. In the 68th minute, they stubbornly completed a 2-1 comeback via a second-phase attack from the flank. At that moment, the Longxing Stadium erupted, with fans cheering incessantly. This dark horse of the league once again showed their never-give-up fighting spirit against a strong opponent.

However, the comeback did not last until the final whistle. The weaknesses of a young team were fully exposed in the late stages. After taking the lead, Tonglianglong became conservative, voluntarily pulling back their defense and ceding midfield control, giving the opponent ample space to counterattack. The players' physical decline, waning focus, and lack of resilience under pressure became increasingly evident. From the 82nd to the 85th minute, within just three minutes, Beijing Guoan scored twice, first equalizing and then completing a dramatic winner, instantly reversing the situation. In particular, after Xiang Yuwang, who was playing his 100th professional league match, replaced Dimata, he had not yet adapted to the game rhythm when the team was reversed. This blow was extremely heavy. Falling from the joy of a comeback to the depths of defeat, the dramatic match ended in regret.

This dramatic defeat is a true reflection of Tonglianglong's performance throughout May. Looking back at all their May fixtures, their form started high but then dropped sharply with wild fluctuations. In seven league matches, they achieved only 1 win, 3 draws, and 3 losses, scoring 7 goals and conceding 10, with problems on both ends. In early May, they drew with Henan and Shanghai Shenhua consecutively, showing decent resilience against strong mid- and upper-table teams, but struggled to overcome opponents. They then lost to Shandong Taishan and drew with Yunnan Yukun, entering a six-match winless streak. Only in the last round did they manage to beat Qingdao Hainiu away to end the slump. In the final match of the dense schedule, they lost narrowly to Guoan. Compared to their impressive start of 5 wins and 3 draws in the first eight rounds, May was clearly a cliff-like drop in form.

Regarding the recent slump, the primary issue is the persistent problem of slow starts, which plagued the entire May schedule. The team often performed poorly in the first half, with poor offensive and defensive transitions. They entered the game slowly against high-intensity opposition, easily falling into a passive situation early on, laying a hidden danger for the whole match. Another issue is the structural weakness in midfield. The absence of key midfielders caused an imbalance in the team's offense and defense, with a sharp decline in midfield interceptions and organizational ability, making it difficult to implement their tactical plans.

The most fatal flaw is the team's mentality and lack of resilience, leading to late-game collapses. Most of the goals conceded in May came in the second half. Even when they had a two-goal advantage against Shenhua, they were eventually pegged back. The team repeatedly lost their offensive-defensive balance in crucial moments, unable to unify their mindset. This match saw a goal conceded right after a substitution. After the game, Liu Jianye admitted that there were problems with the substitutions in the latter part of the match and that they needed to review and learn.

Overall, Chongqing Tonglianglong's performance this season is still commendable. As a newly promoted team, they have managed to establish themselves in the Chinese Super League and staged many exciting contests, proving their potential and resilience. However, the slump in May and this dramatic reverse defeat serve as a wake-up call. Liu Jianye said after the match: "For the first 15 rounds, I would rate the team's performance as exceeding expectations. No one expected at the start of the season that we would accomplish a season's goal in just half a season. But there are many areas we need to improve, including set-piece defense and finding more attacking methods." Liu also mentioned that Xiang Yuwang currently does not have a suitable position in his system, and the captain has made sacrifices. In the second half of the season, they will try to adjust the formation and tactics, possibly switching to a four-back system.

Although the May campaign encountered many difficulties, Tonglianglong, as a promoted team, has indeed exceeded everyone's expectations. Their relegation survival is already secure, but Liu Jianye said he hopes his players do not set their sights only on avoiding relegation, but rather use this process to break through their bottlenecks, so that they can shed their immaturity.