"Promotion to the Super League is not that easy!" said Li Jinyu.

Special contributor/Shen Jun On September 27, playing at home in Shenyang, Liaoning Ironmen played to a 0-0 draw against Dingnan Ganlian, marking their third consecutive match without a win. After the game, Liaoning Ironmen’s head coach Li Jinyu openly said, "I’ve long said that promotion won’t be easy; we must fight every match."

In this game, Liaoning Ironmen deployed their strongest squad, led by the league’s top scorer Mbengza and assist king Bang Benyiyu, immediately pressing hard on Dingnan Ganlian’s goal after kickoff. During the first half, Liaoning Ironmen created multiple scoring chances but repeatedly missed good opportunities. In the second half, Dingnan Ganlian set up a "fortress defense" focusing on counterattacks, and Liaoning Ironmen ultimately failed to score, settling for a 0-0 draw.

After the match, Li Jinyu frankly described the game as a tug of war: "The match was quite tight. We had some opportunities but failed to capitalize on them. Overall, entering the final stage of the league is indeed challenging, and the opponents were well prepared." Regarding the team’s attacking issues, Li Jinyu pointed out, "Our offense was somewhat slow today. The opponent’s dense defense created a numerical advantage, which made attacking difficult for us."

In the last three rounds, Liaoning Ironmen lost 1-3 away to Shaanxi United, drew 1-1 with Dalian Kunchen, and now were held 0-0 by Dingnan Ganlian, totaling two draws and one loss. Speaking about this winless streak, Li Jinyu said, "We are quite clear-headed ourselves. I have said before that promotion isn’t easy. From these matches, opponents have taken us very seriously and fought with full effort, no holding back. It’s not just us; the top three teams have all faced some difficulties recently. I hope the players adjust their mindset. I felt they were a bit nervous today. They need to bravely face all situations and perform well in the upcoming games."

In the past three matches, Liaoning Ironmen’s defense has shown some vulnerabilities. In the first two stages of the league, they were the team with the second fewest goals conceded, but now their total conceded goals have reached 25, ranking fourth from the bottom. The recent defensive instability stems from the injury of key center-back Li Peng on August 2, who fractured his bone and is out for the season. Li Peng was not only the only defender taller than 1.85 meters but also the most reliable defensive anchor. After his injury, Xu Dong and Pan Ximing took over as center-backs, and the defense has lost some solidity.

In fact, the defensive players of Liaoning Ironmen have been working hard, but the gap in individual ability can only be compensated through collective defensive support. Besides the defenders’ overall defense, midfielders and even forwards must actively track back, pressing high in the middle and attacking thirds to relieve pressure on the backline during transitions from offense to defense.

After the first 21 rounds of the previous stages, Liaoning Ironmen once led third-placed Guangzhou Leopards by 13 points, making promotion prospects very optimistic. Now the gap has narrowed to 8 points with 6 rounds remaining, meaning the current lead is not secure.

Based on the current standings, the promotion race in this season’s China League One is a three-team contest for two spots, involving Liaoning Ironmen, Chongqing Tongliang Long, and Guangzhou Leopards, who currently occupy the top three positions. Although Liaoning Ironmen hold a significant lead, they must not be complacent or overly optimistic and must maintain a healthy mindset.

From recent matches, aside from suspensions of key players and consecutive away games, Liaoning Ironmen have shown impatience in attack and defense. Particularly in offense, they rely heavily on long balls and direct passes, which makes it easier for opponents to defend. Moreover, when facing the offensively strong Liaoning Ironmen, other teams generally adopt counter-attacking tactics, greatly increasing the difficulty for Ironmen’s offense. Without sufficient patience, it is hard to create good scoring chances.

While maintaining a solid defense, Liaoning Ironmen want to secure early promotion by preserving their offensive edge. After 24 rounds, they have scored 50 goals, ranking first among all teams. Offensively, they still rely heavily on the front four of Mbengza, Bang Benyiyu, An Yien, and Felipe, especially Mbengza and Bang Benyiyu, who lead the scoring and assist charts with 22 goals and 16 assists respectively. Because of this, both players face intense marking from opponents, particularly the midfield core Bang Benyiyu, who experiences frequent physical challenges aimed at disrupting his control and reducing his chance to deliver key passes to the forwards.

In this situation, Liaoning Ironmen’s domestic players must step up. While the foreign players attract most of the opponents’ defensive focus, the other players need to actively join the attack and continuously pressure the opposition.