Confident in avoiding relegation! Yanbian Head Coach Suarez: The players have given me strong confidence

Special Contributor / Liu Zhun During the National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holidays, Changchun Yatai received a nine-day break. Head coach Suarez pragmatically advised his players to spend more time with their families to enhance the team's combat power. On the 7th, Changchun Yatai began regrouping at their base to get ready for the 27th round away match against Henan on October 19. During the holiday, Meizhou Hakka’s home win against Qingdao Hainiu in a makeup match complicated the relegation picture. However, boosted by the confidence from their last-minute equalizer against Qingdao Hainiu at home in the previous round, Changchun Yatai is prepared to survive in the last four rounds.

In the last two rounds of the September Chinese Super League, Changchun Yatai hosted Zhejiang and Qingdao Hainiu consecutively. Within the team, Suarez demanded that regardless of the opponent’s strength, every match should be treated as a crucial relegation battle. In the home game against Zhejiang, despite having an 11 vs. 9 advantage, Changchun Yatai was equalized by the opponent in the final moments, which hurt the team’s morale. Fortunately, they managed to draw with Qingdao Hainiu in the subsequent home game despite being down to 10 vs. 11, securing a vital point on their relegation path and restoring the team’s confidence.

Currently, there are five teams in the relegation zone this season in the Chinese Super League. Among them, Changchun Yatai and Qingdao Hainiu both have 18 points and are in the relegation places. Meizhou Hakka and Shenzhen New Pengcheng, two Guangdong clubs, each have 20 points, narrowly escaping the drop zone for now. Wuhan Three Towns, with 24 points, are in the best position, holding a six-point lead over the relegation-threatened teams.

However, among the four lowest-ranked teams, three will face title-contending opponents — in round 27, Meizhou Hakka will play away against Chengdu Rongcheng; in rounds 29 and 30, Shenzhen New Pengcheng will face Shanghai Shenhua and Chengdu Rongcheng respectively; in round 27, Qingdao Hainiu will host Shanghai Port. Additionally, Wuhan Three Towns, not yet completely safe, will have two relegation battles against Shenzhen New Pengcheng and Qingdao Hainiu in the last four rounds. In contrast, Changchun Yatai’s opponents are teams with no chance for the championship and no relegation worries.

It is worth noting that among the teams influencing the relegation battle in the last four rounds, not only are there title contenders but also a strong team that will consecutively face Shenzhen New Pengcheng, Qingdao Hainiu, Changchun Yatai, and Meizhou Hakka starting from round 27. This team is Beijing Guoan. Currently, Beijing Guoan trails the leader Shanghai Port by six points, making the title chase difficult. However, they have an FA Cup final against Henan on December 5, and prioritizing the cup will be their strategy. After all, the four relegation-threatened teams will face Beijing Guoan one after another in the league, which will be another form of attrition battle.

As the former Beijing Guoan head coach and current Changchun Yatai boss, Suarez did not comment on this scheduling coincidence. He emphasized, “In the last four rounds, my focus is entirely on Changchun Yatai. My priority is to ensure our team remains complete, every player is healthy, and we achieve the points we need in matches to meet our relegation goal.” Regarding confidence in survival, Suarez said, “My confidence mainly comes from my players. Their performance in training and matches gives me great assurance. They are united, share the same goal, and their determination and upward momentum in adversity are improving.”

Although Changchun Yatai’s last four opponents are not as strong as Meizhou Hakka, Shenzhen New Pengcheng, or Qingdao Hainiu, they cannot afford to be complacent. The team still faces the persistent problem of injuries throughout the season. Foreign player Camilo has joined full-team training but has not yet reached match fitness. Other injured players have used the nearly three-week break for active rehabilitation, and it is expected that the team will field a relatively healthy lineup in the final four rounds.

Entering October, temperatures in Changchun have dropped sharply, making colds and fevers more likely due to the large temperature difference. Suarez, through the club’s official media, released a video warmly reminding players and fans to keep warm. To maintain the team’s match rhythm, Suarez arranged a training match on the 12th, in which Changchun Yatai defeated Yatai U21 by 5-1. “It’s getting cold; I hope our players can quickly adapt to the weather changes here because on November 1, we still have our last home game, when temperatures might approach zero degrees Celsius,” Suarez said.

Before the training match, Suarez led the team in holding a brief birthday party for young fan Hu Tianqi. On September 27, before the home game against Qingdao Hainiu, a video of Hu Tianqi singing the team anthem passionately inside his car for the Yatai bus ignited the enthusiasm of fans citywide and touched the Yatai players. October 12 was Hu Tianqi’s 13th birthday, and the team specially invited him to the base to celebrate together. During the ceremony, all Yatai players sang the birthday song for him, and his favorite player, Haimiti, prepared a special birthday gift.