Reporter Lu Mi reports On October 11 evening, following two away games and personnel setbacks, Chongqing Tongliang Long returned to their home ground and comfortably won 2-0 against Foshan Nanshi. This was Zhang Wailong’s first home match as head coach of Tongliang Long, and fans enthusiastically created a magnificent home environment, greeting him with “Welcome home, Brother Long.”

No rushing, activating Leonardo

This was Zhang Wailong’s third match coaching Tongliang Long. The first two were challenging away games: a 0-3 loss to Yanbian Longding, followed by a 2-1 win over Guangxi Pingguo. However, after the second match, Tongliang Long faced public criticism, with Huang Xiyang receiving an additional two-match suspension and Li Zhenquan accumulating four yellow cards, leading to a one-match ban. The absence of key midfield players brought considerable uncertainty to Zhang Wailong’s first home game.

Perhaps anticipating potential issues in central defense and distribution, Tongliang Long focused more on attacking down the flanks. Both wings continuously pressured the opponent’s defense, giving Leonardo more opportunities to move from the center to the sides. As a result, Tongliang Long earned several corner kicks in the first half, and Leonardo scored his first league goal of the season—also his debut goal for Tongliang Long—thanks to a corner kick he helped create.

Foshan Nanshi has scored relatively few goals this China League One season, with only 24 goals before this match, ranking fifth lowest among teams. Despite this, Tongliang Long did not aggressively push forward as before during attacks. When Foshan Nanshi gained possession, Tongliang Long quickly retreated their defensive line, with forwards dropping back to assist defense, maintaining solid defensive organization. Compared to the Salvador era, at this critical promotion stage, this young team has become more pragmatic, composed, and steady. The biggest change under Zhang Wailong is the rapid improvement in defensive quality within limited personnel, especially noticeable when facing relegation-threatened teams trying quick counterattacks.

Before halftime, Leonardo assisted Xiang Yuwang to seal the score at 2-0. Although Leonardo’s position appeared parallel to forward Carrillo, he played with great freedom—dropping back and drifting wide. Zhang Wailong gave him ample freedom instead of restricting him to a fixed spot, making it harder for defenders to mark him closely. Leonardo contributed one goal and one assist in this match, ending his scoring drought and proving his adaptability under the new coach’s system.

With two wins in three matches, Brother Long has been in charge for 18 days, making highly targeted adjustments that keep Tongliang Long’s hopes alive in the promotion zone.

Holding the initiative but no room for errors

After 26 rounds of this China League One season, Tongliang Long suffered a three-game losing streak, allowing Guangzhou Bao behind them to narrow the points gap to just two. The fight for the last promotion spot has become intensely competitive. Tongliang Long has very little margin for mistakes in the remaining four matches, especially since their rivals continue to win.

Since they hold a points advantage, Tongliang Long still controls the initiative. Next, they will face a challenging away match against Dalian Kunchen. Following that, they have two consecutive home games against Shijiazhuang Kungfu and Suzhou Dongwu. Although both are strong opponents, Tongliang Long’s home record this season is solid, with 8 wins, 3 draws, and 2 losses in 13 home league matches. The final two home games must yield 6 points. The last away match is against Shanghai Jiading Huilong, whose home record is average (5 wins, 4 draws, 4 losses) and who have largely secured their safety. For Tongliang Long, the goal in the final round is to secure all 3 points.

“Every match is a battle; we cannot afford any slack,” Zhang Wailong consistently demands from the team, both as a reminder and a promise to the fans. For Tongliang Long, the 2-0 victory over Foshan Nanshi is just a “refueling station” on the promotion path, not the “finish line.” In the coming month, they must rely on steadier defense and more efficient attack to carve a path through tough competition. For Chongqing football, if Tongliang Long succeeds in promotion, it will mark the return of Chongqing football to the Chinese Super League stage after three years.