Double victory over Shanghai Port temporarily propels Chengdu Rongcheng to the top! August league concludes successfully

Reporter Lu Mi reporting In the intense August schedule, Chengdu Rongcheng met their last major challenger, the reigning champion Shanghai Port. The teams were close in the standings, with Rongcheng only one point behind Port, making this match a probable decider for the season’s title.

No one anticipated that within just thirty minutes, the home side was leading 3-0. Throughout the match, Chengdu Rongcheng held absolute dominance. Ultimately, Goulfinkel contributed three goals, Felipe scored twice, and the team won decisively 4-1 over Port, completing a season double over their rival.

Meanwhile, since the other two title contenders, Shenhua and Guoan, were playing later tonight, Chengdu Rongcheng temporarily climbed to the top of the table. If both Beijing and Shanghai teams fail to win this round, the championship battle will shift once again.

Before this game, Chengdu Rongcheng had already played six matches in August, making them one of the busiest teams in the Chinese Super League. With heavy tasks on multiple fronts, the team was under considerable pressure. After being eliminated from the FA Cup, the focus shifted entirely to the league title and achieving results in the AFC Champions League. A strong away win against newly promoted Yunnan Yukun in the previous round put the team back on track. However, due to the tight schedule, some injuries appeared; Yuan Mincheng and Yang Mingyang were not in the squad, and Hu Hetao joined the U22 national youth team preparing for the Asian Cup qualifiers.

Although fitness was a concern, everyone at Chengdu Rongcheng wanted to end the busy August schedule with a victory. “Before today’s match, I was quite worried because August’s schedule is extremely tight, and some players are injured. The overall workload is heavy, so I was very concerned about the team's physical condition. But in my years coaching Chengdu Rongcheng, I believe today all players showed the strong DNA of our club,” said Xu Zhengyuan after the game.

At the start, Chengdu Rongcheng applied high pressing to pressure their opponents. The opposition also pressed when Rongcheng had the ball, making it difficult to advance offensively. Due to the absence of key midfield players on the opposing side, Rongcheng was able to better coordinate their attacking players in the midfield and forward areas. In the 4th minute, Wei Shihao made an overlapping run on the wing and delivered a triangular pass that broke through Shanghai Port’s defense, nearly resulting in a goal. This moment showed the players how to break down the opponent’s defensive setup.

From that point on, Wang Dongsheng and Goulfinkel continuously made overlapping runs on the flanks, delivering crosses or angled passes into the penalty area, creating an attacking surge. In the 13th minute, a wide midfield switch gave Goulfinkel, who was in excellent form, his first chance. He struck a stunning, precise long-range shot to open the scoring.

Shanghai Port’s right flank was in disarray, and Rongcheng capitalized on this momentum. In the 20th minute, Goulfinkel crossed from the left, and Felipe, unmarked in the center, scored to make it 2-0. In the first 20 minutes, Rongcheng outshot their opponents 7 to 1, completely controlling the match’s rhythm.

Goulfinkel was the standout player of the match. In the 29th minute, he earned a penalty, which Felipe converted to score his second goal. Within half an hour, Chengdu Rongcheng led by three goals, effectively sealing the victory. Goulfinkel was directly involved in all three goals.

Although the opposition pulled one back before halftime and both teams exchanged attacks in the second half, Rongcheng still created far better chances. Their defense gave few opportunities to the opponents. At the 59th minute, from a corner kick, Timo Lechet scored into an empty net, locking the score at 4-1. The team concluded their intense August with a commanding win.

After the match, Xu Zhengyuan expressed his feelings: “Several players played with minor injuries today, yet we still performed brilliantly. Facing such a strong opponent at home during difficult times and winning decisively shows our team’s strong willpower, which is the foundation of our victory. We ended August on a perfect note. Next, we will prepare seriously for September’s matches and give our all in every game. Thank you all.”

Following an earlier FA Cup exit, Chengdu Rongcheng reduced their frontline commitments and refocused on the league and upcoming AFC Champions League. This victory temporarily placed the team at the top of the Chinese Super League standings. Moreover, with this win, they completed a season double over Shanghai Port and remain unbeaten against the top five teams this season, continuing their strong record against strong opponents from last season.

If Shanghai Shenhua and Beijing Guoan fail to win tonight, Chengdu Rongcheng will maintain their top spot. Therefore, this round of the league could reshape the championship race, which has now reached a fierce stage. Chengdu Rongcheng only needs to focus on themselves and take every step carefully moving forward.