Rongcheng: A 6-minute comeback fails to hide July's winless awkwardness

Reporter Lu Mi reports If not for Sorokin, Rongcheng, playing at the Wuliangye Cultural Sports Center, would have suffered a defeat. Trailing 0-2, Felipe and Sorokin scored consecutively, and Rongcheng pulled two goals back in six minutes to complete a dramatic equalizer. Although this thrilling draw is commendable, it cannot hide the team's awkward winless record in July. Compared to before July, the team is showing obvious fatigue.

After being eliminated from the FA Cup, Rongcheng faced a tough match in the Chinese Super League against Guoan, who had been unbeaten in six games across two competitions. Guoan was missing key players, while Rongcheng had played a grueling 120-minute FA Cup away match against Yukun, including a penalty shootout, resulting in huge exhaustion. Back at home, head coach John Aloisi made adjustments: Romulo rested on the bench, Baihelamu partnered Felipe, and Gan Chao made a rare start.

Since the start of July, Rongcheng has failed to win in either competition. Although they have a big lead in the CSL standings, their exit from the FA Cup angered fans. In this match against Guoan, the team was under immense pressure. The club specially held a fan forum to ease the tense atmosphere.

From the start, the away side Guoan pressed forward quickly. Rongcheng focused on wing attacks and earned two corner kicks in a short period, both of good quality.

Guoan had more possession, while Rongcheng looked for counter-attacking opportunities. Silva's speed was a clear advantage. In the 24th minute, he broke through quickly and shot, but the ball hit the side netting. Rongcheng's problem was the absence of Romulo, which made ground transitions less smooth, and Felipe often had to drop back to midfield to receive the ball.

Perhaps affected by the FA Cup, neither side engaged in intense physical battles, but through passing and possession, both teams sought chances to break through the opponent's defense. Rongcheng had more opportunities in the first half: 5 shots with 2 on target, while Guoan had 2 shots with 0 on target.

In the second half, Rongcheng stepped up their attack. John Aloisi substituted Mutalifu for Yousa, increasing the speed of offensive transitions and freeing Felipe to join the attack more, which put Guoan's defense under pressure. After Guoan weathered that wave, they capitalized on a defensive error by Rongcheng. Zhang Yuning scored first, breaking the deadlock, and for Rongcheng, such a goal was a big blow to morale.

Seeing the situation turn bad, John Aloisi brought on Romulo, but the blow came again: Zhang Yuning scored a brace. Two goals down, Rongcheng was in a desperate situation.

Up to that point, Rongcheng had 11 shots, while Guoan had only 4, but Guoan had scored two goals.

Rongcheng had no time to regret, as time was running out. At the crucial moment, Felipe stepped up. In the 86th minute, he received a pass from a teammate, made a beautiful turn, and volleyed to pull one back. After the goal, he briefly suffered from cramp.

In the final moments, Rongcheng launched a full-scale counterattack. Wei Shihao threw a long-range throw-in, and Sorokin headed in the equalizer. Within six minutes, Rongcheng's championship-winning spirit awakened, as evidenced by the two goals.

After the match, Baihelamu said, "The team wanted to win all along, and we didn't give up even when trailing 0-2. Everyone wanted to win, and the players who came on later contributed well in terms of movement and everything. I believe if there had been more time, we might have won."

After the match, John Aloisi first thanked the fans present: "You gave us so much energy. Even when we were 0-2 down, you kept cheering for us and fighting with us." He also thanked his players: "I am proud of them. We just played a 120-minute match midweek, then traveled back home. Guoan's players had not played in the cup and were in good form. They led 2-0, but in the end, we equalized. This fully demonstrates our fighting spirit. Now, we are step by step approaching our goal, and every point matters."

With a late surge, Rongcheng drew with a depleted Guoan, suffering their fourth consecutive draw in the CSL. Looking back at the entire July, Rongcheng showed obvious fatigue. With a dense schedule and hot weather, the relatively older team lost its earlier edge. They failed to win a single game in July, which is rare in recent years.

But the good news is that despite this, in the CSL standings, Rongcheng's lead has expanded from 13 points after 16 rounds to 15 points now. It seems the championship is within reach.