Yatai achieves its first consecutive wins of the season, reigniting relegation suspense!

Special contributor/Liu Zhun On the evening of August 24, "Nanling" was the center of attention in Changchun, with more than 20,000 fans turning it into the city's liveliest place—the outstanding Omoihu Juanfe kept up his good form by netting the decisive goal, leading Changchun Yatai to a 1-0 win against Shenzhen Xinpengcheng. This was Yatai’s first consecutive victory this season, while their opponents hit a five-game losing streak. The rare two-game winning streak allowed Changchun Yatai to catch up with Qingdao Hainiu at 15 points, closing the gap on Meizhou Hakka and Shenzhen Xinpengcheng (both at 17 points), making the relegation battle increasingly uncertain.

As the dust settled, Changchun’s fans lingered long at "Nanling," and during the players' farewell, they were treated to Suarez’s iconic “farmer’s three punches.” Over ten thousand supporters rhythmically chanted “Hey, hey, hey” three times, deeply enjoying the taste of victory. The moment the fireworks lit up the sky, it lifted a heavy weight from their hearts, allowing them to fully savor the celebration.

“This was an extremely hard-fought victory. Before the match, I said the road ahead would be tough, but we would never give up and keep fighting until the very end. Today, we thank the players on the field and the fans in the stands—we deserved this win,” Suarez summarized this crucial relegation battle with one word: “difficult.”

More than two-thirds of the Chinese Super League season has passed, and Changchun Yatai has been plagued by injuries and has remained at the bottom of the standings. The threat of relegation is hard for this once champion-crowned team and its supporters to accept. Reality, however, is harsh. With Yatai consistently occupying the last place, nearly everyone believed their relegation was inevitable. Despite low expectations, the club, Suarez, and the players have never given up, doing everything possible to cling to the last thread of hope. In the previous round, Yatai’s home victory over Meizhou Hakka was a bitter win, as key goalkeeper Wu Yake was injured and will be out for 3 to 5 months, Ciprian suffered a leg strain and will miss two to three matches, and Su Zu also needed rotation due to physical exhaustion.

When the lineup for the home match against Shenzhen Xinpengcheng was announced, many Yatai fans were shocked to see Ciprian and Wu Yake absent from the squad. Could Changchun Yatai win this critical relegation battle? Suarez answered the question. With the support of over 20,000 fans, Yatai displayed a strong will to win from the start—players were always in position, and through energetic runs, they compensated for their shortcomings, especially with tight marking that unsettled Shenzhen’s attackers.

The long-lost fighting spirit of Changchun Yatai inspired every fan present. Fueled by continuous encouragement, Omoihu Juanfe scored the winning goal in the 50th minute, maintaining his excellent form (he assisted Camilo’s winning goal in the previous round).

This season, whether Changchun Yatai can avoid relegation has become the city’s hot topic. Every home game, "Nanling" turns into the liveliest place in town. Regardless of whether people like football, the citizens of Changchun often ask, “Will Yatai stay up this year?” Carrying these questions and hopes, Yatai has won two direct matches against relegation rivals, earning 6 points and making the survival battle more unpredictable.

This round saw three relegation battles among four teams in the danger zone. Besides the direct clash between Changchun Yatai and Shenzhen Xinpengcheng, Meizhou Hakka and Qingdao Hainiu hosted matches against stronger opponents Zhejiang and Shanghai Shenhua respectively. With Meizhou Hakka drawing 2-2 against Zhejiang and Qingdao Hainiu losing 0-2 to Shanghai Shenhua, the relegation outlook for Changchun Yatai improved. Currently, Yatai and Qingdao Hainiu both have 15 points, while Meizhou Hakka and Shenzhen Xinpengcheng share 17 points. Including Henan with 22 points and Wuhan Three Towns with 21, the relegation zone has expanded, making the battle intensely competitive.

Discussing the improving relegation prospects, Suarez remained clear-headed: “Before joining Changchun Yatai, I knew achieving this season’s survival goal would be very challenging, but I personally enjoy challenges—that’s my nature. Moving forward, our survival target still faces many difficulties. I demand all players give their all in every training session and believe in their ability to reach our goal.”

Currently, Changchun Yatai is again dealing with a depleted squad. Their next match is an away game against newly promoted Yunnan Yukun, another extremely tough challenge. However, since Qingdao Hainiu faces Henan and Meizhou Hakka meets Shenzhen Xinpengcheng in two relegation battles next round, and Wuhan Three Towns confronts Shanghai Shenhua, if Yatai can capitalize on the suspension of opponent defender Burke and escape Yuxi unscathed, they may gain a favorable position in the standings.

“Next round’s away game against Yunnan Yukun will also be very difficult, so we must prepare well. The relegation suspense will last until the final round. I think the current Chinese Super League is a very well-regulated competition, and not only the foreign players but the overall player quality and strength are very high. I really admire this league and am glad to be working in it,” Suarez said.