Special Contributor / Jin Liang On the evening of July 27, over 20,000 fans flooded into "Nanling." Besides the more than 2,000 fans from Dalian, the Yatai supporters hoped to see their team secure 3 points in the "Northeast Derby." However, after a tough match, they were disappointed as the home team, Changchun Yatai, lost 0-2. With a record of 2 wins, 2 draws, and 13 losses, accumulating 8 points, Changchun Yatai continues to sit at the bottom of the table. Worse still, Qingdao Hainiu, ahead of them, won this round, widening the point gap to 3.

New signings need time to integrate.

During the second transfer window, Changchun Yatai's head coach, Suarez, submitted a list of desired signings based on his tactical needs. The club also recommended a list of potential recruits to enrich Suarez's options. Ultimately, the club respected Suarez's choices and signed Colombian winger Camilo, while also bringing in Peng Xinli, Liu Guobao, and Aifeiding on loan from Shandong Taishan and Shanghai Port. However, due to their short time with the team, Coach Suarez did not assign significant roles to the new signings in the match against Dalian, instead hoping they would quickly integrate into the team and contribute in future matches.

In this match, foreign player Camilo came on as a substitute in the second half, while among the three domestic signings, only Aifeiding made it to the bench; Peng Xinli and Liu Guobao were not included in the squad. After confirming his loan to Changchun Yatai, Peng Xinli was suspended for 6 matches for insulting the referee during a game representing Shandong Taishan against Henan.

Without the support of new talents, Changchun Yatai could only rely on their fighting spirit to face the currently strong promoted team, Dalian Yingbo. Before this match, Dalian Yingbo had not won away (4 draws, 4 losses), but their 23 points placed them in a relatively safe seventh position. In their first encounter in the first half of the season, Dalian Yingbo dominated Changchun Yatai, leaving them without a chance to respond. "At that time, Li Guoxu saw the list of domestic signings brought in by Xie Hui and knew Changchun Yatai had already lost half the battle," said a coach familiar with Dalian Yingbo. Now, Changchun Yatai has replaced Xie Hui with Suarez, but they still ended up losing the match.

Only 1 win in 10 home games.

As the first half of the league is about to conclude, Changchun Yatai welcomed the favorable conditions of "Four Consecutive Home Games," but these four opponents were not easy to handle, especially the two teams from Shanghai, making it difficult for the home side to gain an advantage. Despite the challenges in scoring, Changchun Yatai managed to start well against Qingdao West Coast, but their two matches against the Shanghai teams ended without rewards, showcasing a fighting spirit that instilled fear in their opponents, yet they still lost. Particularly in the last home match against Shanghai Port, the hot-headed Suarez received a second yellow card and was unable to coach from the sidelines in this round.

In this match, Changchun Yatai forward Omoihu Juan made a spectacular shot that hit the post early on, giving the opponents a warning, but afterwards, Yatai's pace of attack and defense slowed down, allowing the opponents more opportunities. In the 33rd minute, Dalian Yingbo's Labuyade scored during a quick counterattack. In the 61st minute, Liu Zhuru extended the lead to 2-0 with a follow-up shot on another fast break. Ultimately, Changchun Yatai lost 0-2 at home in the Northeast Derby against Dalian Yingbo, suffering a double defeat in a single season, which helped their opponents achieve their first-ever away victory in the league's history.

"From the coaching staff's perspective, we did not perform well today and did not meet the pre-match preparation requirements. We played decently in the first 20 minutes, but afterwards, we did not execute the established plan. Based on past experiences, such situations can occur, possibly due to an excessive desire for victory affecting our performance. Even in such a match, we still had opportunities to change the score, but there were also some luck factors and areas we need to improve. We have many more matches ahead and need to find a better state through upcoming training," said interim head coach Mauricio at the post-match press conference.

This season, Changchun Yatai has only achieved 1 victory in 10 home matches, and with 12 rounds left in the league, the margin for error for Changchun Yatai is becoming increasingly slim.