1 win in 8 matches, conceding 23 goals! With such a defense, it’s extremely difficult for Guoan to secure victories.

Special contributor/Song Ci On the evening of October 23, when top scorer Fabio netted his 50th goal for the club at Mong Kok Stadium in Hong Kong, nearly all supporters expected Guoan to clinch their second AFC Champions League victory by overturning a two-goal deficit to win 3-2. Sadly, similar to the earlier two conceded goals, Guoan’s defense made another mistake near the end, conceding a third goal and ultimately accepting a 3-3 draw with Hong Kong Tai Po.

After this match, Guoan not only remains at the bottom in AFC Champions League Group 2 but has also won only once in their last 8 games, conceding at least 2 goals in each match, totaling 23 goals against. With such a defense, winning games is extremely challenging.

Following a 1-2 loss to Xinpengcheng in the previous Chinese Super League game, Guoan stayed in Zhaoqing, Guangdong for three days of training. Acting head coach Ramiro focused heavily on addressing the team’s defensive issues and candidly stated before the match the need to improve defensive quality.

To avoid repeating problems from the last game, Ramiro adjusted the defense: Fan Shuangjie, Wang Gang, and Jiang Wenhao—substituted at halftime in the previous match—were all left out of the starting lineup, with the latter two not even featuring. Despite these changes, Guoan’s defensive quality did not improve and even saw more basic mistakes, including errors from foreign players.

Guoan’s first conceded goal came when Ngadeu lost possession while shielding the ball near the baseline, allowing the opponent to steal the ball from behind and easily score against the goalkeeper; the second goal resulted from Zhang Yuan’s careless defensive action inside the box, gifting the opponent a penalty.

Trailing 0-2, Guoan did not give up but launched a comeback, scoring 3 goals. However, unexpectedly, in the 90th minute, the opponent scored easily inside Guoan’s penalty area — Xu Yunlong, serving as a guest commentator, slammed his fists on the table in frustration.

Regarding Guoan’s leaky defense, Xu Yunlong pinpointed the issue: it’s entirely a matter of defensive principles. How can such mistakes happen at crucial moments?

After the match, when discussing defense, Ramiro frankly admitted many errors were made at the back: “We are all very disappointed, but the mistakes are shared by the entire team. Actually, the players know what to do, but at certain moments lost confidence and focus. Of course, as a coach, I also make mistakes. The players performed well most of the time; it wasn’t just one or two individuals at fault. I will never blame any specific player; my principle is to take responsibility together.”

Although they didn’t win and conceded three goals again, Guoan’s fighting spirit and more varied attacking tactics displayed during the match still showed signs of progress.

In poor form and results, the entire Guoan squad bears immense pressure. Ramiro stated before the match that the team must take responsibility, emphasizing that “tight schedules, injuries, and other issues are not excuses.”

The players also demonstrated through their actions that they would not give up. Even though they trailed 0-2 within the first 30 minutes of the first half, Guoan did not retreat; everyone pushed forward aggressively to find opportunities and managed to score three goals back.

Notably, Guoan’s attacking strategies have become richer than before, especially their set-piece tactics played a key role. The first two goals were both initiated from corner kicks, thanks in large part to Zhang Xizhe’s accurate deliveries. Additionally, the front line executed good combinations, with Dawan assisting Fabio’s goal brilliantly. This goal was Fabio’s 22nd for Guoan in all competitions this season and his 50th official goal for Guoan since joining in 2023.

After the match, Dawan said the team performed quite well and dominated the game at times. The toughest challenge was conceding goals too quickly and falling behind 0-2 early on. “We need to regain control, and every player must work harder. Indeed, we fought hard, but we will review carefully afterward to avoid repeating mistakes and aim for 3 points in the next game.”

Ramiro expressed disappointment that the team fielded their main players but failed to secure three points. He said the team should adapt sooner to the opponent’s aggressiveness and be more proactive. “In the second half, we got physical and used both flanks better, performing somewhat improved, but throughout the match, we didn’t control the rhythm well, especially in the last two minutes. Otherwise, the result would have been what we wanted.”

In the second half, Lin Liangming scored a goal that was ruled offside. After the match, Ramiro said that even if it was a wrong call, the team should reflect more on their own mistakes. “If we made fewer errors ourselves, maybe we could have taken all three points. We should focus on self-reflection rather than blaming others.”