Data Review: How Has Youthful Energy Powered Tongliang Longyue's Rise?

Reporter Lu Mi reports In the 2025 season, Chongqing Tongliang Longyue faced dual challenges during winter training and the league period, producing outstanding achievements in stamina reserves, competitive display, and tactical implementation. This season, the team enhanced its overall physical data significantly and, by confidently deploying young talent and refining tactical frameworks, allowed youth power to become the central driver for self-improvement. Key performance metrics this season not only systematically reflected the progress of the team and players but also highlighted the unique advantages young players hold in high-intensity competitions, laying a solid foundation for future development.

At the start of the 2025 season, Chongqing Tongliang Longyue set a clear goal to secure promotion, organizing distinct preparation and competition phases. The winter training period, from December 16, 2024, to March 8, 2025, included 51 ball training sessions and 7 friendly matches, building a strong physical base for the season. The league phase, from March 10 to November 8, 2025, involved 139 ball training sessions, 30 league matches, 2 FA Cup games, and 2 friendlies, with the dense schedule placing high demands on players' endurance.

Overall data shows the team averaged over 100,000 meters of total running distance per game, a 3.7% increase compared to the 2024 season, demonstrating enhanced endurance. Key physical indicators saw remarkable progress: explosive movements rose by 11.9%, high-speed running distance increased by 7.4%, high-speed accelerations and decelerations grew by 10.3%, and average load intensity went up by 4.9%. These improvements are closely linked to Coach Salvador’s implementation of high-press and high-possession tactics this season, with young players at the core providing the necessary physical foundation for these strategies.

During the season, the team experienced two dips in total running distance, from rounds 6 to 9 and rounds 20 to 24, both against similarly styled teams like Nanjing City and Dingnan Ganlian. This indicates that further refinement is needed in tactical adjustments and energy management when facing specific playing styles. The high-speed running and acceleration/deceleration metrics followed a "high start – gradual decline – rebound" pattern, influenced by accumulated fatigue and temperature changes, highlighting young players’ advantages in recovery and sustained performance. During hot summer periods and late-season matches, young players’ superior physical resilience effectively supported the team's competitive intensity.

Data reveals clear patterns in matchups: when the team lost, high-speed running and acceleration numbers fell below average; against opponents using a five-defender formation, the dense defense allowed the team to exploit space, reducing the need for intense runs. Positional analysis shows wingers and midfielders have significantly higher total running and high-speed running distances than forwards and defenders, a trend more pronounced among young wingers and midfielders who, with abundant stamina, perfectly fit the team’s early high-press tactical demands.

In 2025, Chongqing Tongliang Longyue boldly fielded young players whose impressive physical data became key to the team’s overall strength enhancement. Individually, several young players ranked highly in total running distance, high-speed running distance, and load intensity, demonstrating athleticism and physical capabilities surpassing their peers.

In total running distance rankings, young players and He Xiaoqiang stood out with exceptional endurance, far exceeding the team average. Young midfielders Li Zhenquan and Xiang Yuwang also performed well, with total running distances of 9513 meters and load values of 892 per 90 minutes respectively, maintaining steady output in intense midfield battles. These young athletes not only met tactical running requirements but also sustained high-intensity efforts during critical moments, strongly supporting the team’s offensive and defensive transitions.

Young players showed remarkable consistency in meeting data benchmarks. He Xiaoqiang led the team in the number of times exceeding 10,000 meters total distance and 500 meters high-speed runs, with 29 instances of reaching load intensity targets, reflecting strong endurance. Xiang Yuwang hit the mark 29 times for over 50 high-speed accelerations/decelerations, serving as a core force in high-intensity duels. Young midfielder Zhang Zhixiong reached load values over 1000 and load intensity above 10 on 14 and 21 occasions respectively, maintaining stable physical output in midfield orchestration. These stats prove young players not only have high physical ceilings but also improve stability throughout the league, consistently delivering top performances over a long season.

Compared to 2024, many young players significantly improved their physical data. Wing-back Liu Mingshi, a key young talent, increased total distance, high-speed running, and acceleration/deceleration by 7% to 10%, aligning well with the team’s 3-5-2 high-press tactical style. As a wing-back, Liu’s activity area expanded greatly, and his strong fitness reserves allowed him to meet the high-intensity running demands of attack-defense transitions. Young forward Xiang Yuwang also improved his acceleration/deceleration stats compared to 2024, reflecting his ability to create offensive chances through frequent moves and receptions under the team's high-possession tactics, showcasing excellent physical adaptability and tactical awareness.

This season, Chongqing Tongliang Longyue’s bold use of young players not only boosted competitive data but also deeply influenced tactics, injecting strong momentum into the club’s long-term development.

From a tactical fit perspective, young players’ physical strengths closely align with the team’s high-press and high-possession tactical system. High pressing requires players to maintain constant pressure across the field, especially in the front and midfield connection zones, demanding quick transitions and sustained high-intensity running. Young players, with their abundant stamina, can sustain high pressing intensity for 90 minutes, effectively disrupting opponents’ passing lanes and creating more interception and counterattack chances. For example, young midfielder Li Zhenquan not only completes extensive basic running but also makes crucial high-speed forward runs and defensive recoveries, filling midfield gaps and acting as the team’s “glue” in attack-defense transitions; young winger Wu Yuxi frequently uses his sprinting ability to challenge defenses, creating shooting opportunities for central players, with his wing breakthroughs and crosses becoming vital offensive weapons.

The consistent performance of young players also provides greater tactical flexibility. Against different opponent styles, the coaching staff can leverage young players’ physical advantages to adjust game tempo. For instance, against defensively compact five-defender setups, the team can exploit young players’ speed and sprinting to break defenses through combined wing breakthroughs and central penetrations. In hot summer matches, faster recovery among young players allows the coach to increase substitutions to maintain match intensity and prevent tactical decline due to fatigue. Even during passive phases with sustained high-pressure defense, young players’ stamina and focus remain strong.

After experiencing a slump from rounds 20 to 24 and identifying defensive issues, the team made urgent coaching adjustments. Following Zhang Wailong’s takeover, defensive toughness was prioritized, and offensively, better combinations of foreign and domestic players were sought, activating the potential of Xiang Yuwang and Leonardo. This balanced the attack-defense data. Relying on young players’ physical strengths, the team adjusted tactics and accelerated the pace, leading to a rebound in high-speed running and acceleration metrics, showcasing young players’ ability to lead the team through challenging periods.

From a team-building perspective, the growth and rise of young players have laid a solid foundation for Chongqing Tongliang Longyue’s long-term development. This season’s rapid improvement in young players’ competitive performance not only enhanced the team’s immediate strength but also fostered a healthy internal competition atmosphere, motivating veteran players to maintain good form and collectively boost the team’s overall capability. Veteran Huang Xiyang, inspired by the youth, maintained stable running intensity, matching his 2024 season per-minute distance, demonstrating excellent form; meanwhile, young players, aided by veterans, quickly improved tactical understanding, achieving mutual progress.

Having achieved promotion in 2025, as most players face the Chinese Super League for the first time, the team will encounter a higher competitive level and tougher challenges next season. According to communications with the Tongliang Longyue club, nurturing and utilizing young players will remain central to the team’s development. Going forward, establishing a comprehensive youth development system, accelerating their growth through systematic winter training and competitive friendlies, while strengthening mentorship between veterans and young players to elevate overall team standards, will be among the club’s top priorities for the new season.

Young players are the core force for Chongqing Tongliang Longyue’s future. As veteran coach Zhang Wailong said, they represent not only the future of Chongqing football but also of Chinese football. Li Zhenquan and Xiang Yuwang have already become regulars in national youth teams this season, and producing more national-level talent remains a key goal for Tongliang Longyue. The physical advantages and growth potential demonstrated by young players this season provide a solid guarantee for the team’s pursuit of higher goals. With their continued development and the ongoing refinement of tactical systems, Chongqing Tongliang Longyue is sure to create more glory on the field and write brilliant chapters for this youthful squad in seasons to come.