Lost the top spot! From drawing late to being drawn against, Rongcheng falls back to reality

Reporter Lu Mi reports In the last round, Chengdu Rongcheng managed a last-minute equalizer against Shanghai Shenhua to keep the top spot, but their point lead was wiped out. In the final game of a tough three-match away series, the team visited Hangzhou to face longtime rivals Zhejiang. Romulo scored first for the team, and steady Rongcheng at one point held a 3-0 advantage. Yet Rongcheng did not finish victorious; near halftime, Zhejiang scored twice. In the second half, the match remained deadlocked until the final minute when Yago scored a last-second equalizer. Ultimately, Chengdu Rongcheng failed to hold on to the three points and relinquished the top spot this round. From the city of heaven, Rongcheng returned to earth.

On the night of the 26th at Huanglong Sports Center, Chengdu Rongcheng displayed textbook attacking football, sustaining hopes of continuing to lead the standings. Early in the match, under Zhejiang’s intense pressing, Rongcheng appeared somewhat passive. Leite even required lengthy treatment on the sidelines due to injury. Yet, who would have expected that despite his injury, he would later break through repeatedly to unlock the team’s offense.

In the 29th minute, Leite advanced near the penalty area and delivered a precise lobbed pass. Romulo surged forward to head the ball into the net, opening the scoring. Eight minutes later, Zhou Dingyang earned a free kick just outside the box, and Romulo unleashed a stunning left-footed strike into the top corner, making it 2-0. This world-class shot left Zhejiang’s goalkeeper Zhao Bo helpless as the ball flew in. Rongcheng’s relentless attack continued: in the 39th minute, Leite sent a pinpoint cross from the right to the edge of the penalty area, where Zhou Dingyang volleyed a lethal shot, extending the lead to 3-0. The away Rongcheng fans began celebrating early. At this point, Rongcheng dominated both offensively and defensively; goalkeeper Liu Dianzuo confidently saved a curling shot from Carillo, and Romulo’s corner nearly resulted in a direct goal. Their comprehensive control was evident across all statistics.

However, the home team Zhejiang clearly refused to be humiliated by their old rivals. Before halftime ended, Zhejiang decisively made a substitution, bringing on forward Ousu for Tong Lei, instantly changing the course of the match. In the 45th minute, Ousu cut inside from the right and curled a shot into the net, pulling one back for Zhejiang. With nine minutes of added time in the first half, in the dying seconds before the whistle, Wang Yudong crossed from the left, and Yago leapt to head the ball home, dramatically reducing the gap to one goal! Rongcheng had closely marked their most threatening opponent, Mitrovic, but the early appearance of Ousu caught them off guard, allowing Zhejiang to score twice in a short span.

In the second half, after switching sides, Rongcheng tried to stabilize the situation, bringing on Yan Dinghao as a substitute to strengthen midfield control, but Zhejiang’s attacks grew more intense. Liu Dianzuo made two incredible saves to avert danger, and it seemed Rongcheng would hold on to the lead. Yet fate tipped the scales in the 100th minute when Mitrovic threaded a through ball, and Yago fired a powerful shot from the left side of the penalty area, completing his brace and leveling the score at 3-3.

This draw felt very different from the previous one against Shenhua. The last round’s equalizer against Shenhua preserved Rongcheng’s top spot, but after Shanghai Port defeated Wuhan Three Towns this round, Rongcheng lost the lead by two points, and the title race took a new turn.

Romulo, who scored twice, was the team’s best player. By stoppage time, he was completely exhausted and suffered a thigh muscle issue, requiring a stretcher off the field. Leite, who provided two assists, played through injury, showing grit and determination. Zhou Dingyang’s consecutive goals also demonstrated his peak performance... Rongcheng’s key players gave their all, but it was not enough to avoid the heartbreak of conceding a late equalizer.

For Rongcheng, this match exposed defensive vulnerabilities at critical moments. Leading 3-0 but ending with a draw, especially conceding in stoppage time, highlighted the decline in quality caused by continuous high-intensity away matches wearing down their stamina. More seriously, Wei Shihao’s injury has left the team’s forward rotation thin. With only four league rounds remaining, now second in the standings, Rongcheng must quickly regain form and secure every point in upcoming matches to reclaim the initiative in the title race.

Football’s joys and sorrows can truly change in a single second. Rongcheng was pegged back from a 3-0 away lead by Zhejiang, while home side Shanghai Port scored twice in the last 10 minutes to overturn Three Towns at their own ground.

The match between Port and Three Towns was initially uneventful. In the 37th minute, Li Shuai scored first for the home team, and everything seemed set for Port to win comfortably. However, early in the second half, Deng Zhuoxiang began to influence the game, making five substitutions. Then in the 77th and 80th minutes, Zhong Jinbao and Gustavo scored consecutively, giving the visiting Three Towns the lead. The home side Port could not accept this script. Muscat reacted promptly, making three positional changes. Thanks to substitutes Kuai Jiwen and Fu Huan assisting in turn, Port managed to equalize and then reverse the score, with Leonardo scoring both goals.

Chengdu Rongcheng painfully lost a great opportunity and two points, while Shanghai Port narrowly seized the most precious chance. After this round, the points gap between the two teams was broken, with Shanghai Port leading by two points. Before the final four rounds of the league, the brief break in early October will be the last chance for both teams to rest and regroup.