Montgomery's transformation of Guoan has shown results with an unbeaten run of seven matches.

Special correspondent/Song Ci Thanks to Zhang Yuning's brace, Guoan once led Rongcheng 2-0 and saw hope for revenge. Despite being equalized at the death and losing three points, holding the CSL leader to a draw with a weakened lineup is fully acceptable given the injury crisis at Guoan.

Guoan's injury list has been extensive recently, with multiple key players absent including Serginho, Lin Liangming, Zhang Xizhe, Wang Gang, Li Lei, Wu Shaocong, and He Yupeng, leaving head coach Montgomery with limited options for lineup selection.

In the pre-match press conference, Montgomery admitted that the team is facing the most severe personnel crisis of the season, with the only positive being foreign player Spajic's successful return after a year, rejoining the squad and boosting their strength.

Even so, Guoan still wanted to get points away against Rongcheng. In the first leg at home, they failed to achieve an ideal result; now playing away again, they hoped for a good outcome.

Injuries have reduced the rotation depth, but Guoan's core framework remains intact, which is the confidence for the team to dare to take on the challenge away. In this match, Zhang Yuning was in stable form, and foreign players Fabio, Dawan, and Conte all played, supporting the team's offensive and defensive system. The defense boldly used a double foreign center-back combination to solidify the defensive foundation; on the flanks, there were also Cao Yongjing and Yang Liyu to ensure attacking power.

In the first half, Guoan was slightly passive and faced multiple dangers in front of goal. At critical moments, Hou Sen made high and low saves, defusing danger time and again, becoming Guoan's biggest contributor in the first half. However, Guoan was not without chances; Yang Liyu's powerful shot in a counterattack hit the crossbar, lacking a bit of luck.

At the start of the second half, Montgomery deployed the team's remaining offensive trump card, bringing on Cao Yongjing to increase the attacking pressure. In the 52nd minute, Rongcheng made a clearance error in the backfield, Fabio provided an assist, and Zhang Yuning calmly took the chance to score from close range, giving Guoan the lead away.

In the 67th minute, substitute Chi Zhongguo was forced off due to injury. Just when outsiders thought Guoan would struggle to withstand the opponent's comeback, the team scored again through an efficient counterattack—substitute Jia Feifan assisted, and Zhang Yuning pushed the ball into the net for his second goal, giving Guoan a two-goal lead.

Guoan saw hope of winning, but Rongcheng did not give up, eventually equalizing through goals from Felipe and Sorokin. Guoan regrettably missed the opportunity to snatch a late winner away against a strong opponent, failing to achieve revenge.

After the match, Montgomery was proud of his players. "Although it's a pity we didn't get three points, you have to know we had many important players missing. I want to say it again: I am very proud of the performance of all the players. The opponent took advantage of a long throw-in, but before that, our players performed excellently, including the defense."

Competing on two fronts, Guoan's seven-match unbeaten run is enough to prove that Montgomery's transformation of the team is bearing fruit. The team's tactical play is becoming more mature, and the offensive and defensive system is more balanced.

However, the 2-2 draw clearly exposed Guoan's biggest weakness at present—insufficient depth. With the team suffering from widespread injuries, the available rotation players were limited. After physical decline in the second half, they could not maintain the intensity of attack and defense through substitutions, and failed to hold on against Rongcheng's sustained comeback, eventually being equalized at the last minute.

Nevertheless, the injury wave has also provided a valuable stage for the growth of Guoan's young players. In recent multi-front competitions, the team has continued to boldly use young players, giving them opportunities for practical experience. In this match, Deng Jiefu started, Fan Shuangjie came off the bench, and several U20 players were included in the squad. In the previous round of the FA Cup, many young players got sufficient playing time, accumulating experience and honing their skills in official matches.

At present, Guoan has no hope of winning the league title, so without the burden of results, they can boldly use young players. This not only enriches the rotation squad and alleviates the personnel pressure caused by injuries, but also systematically trains the reserve force, laying a solid foundation for the team's long-term development.