Guoan finally achieved their first victory after the coaching change, debunking rumors of "throwing matches."

Special Contributor / Song Ci After 35 days, Guoan finally secured another win. After 67 days, they managed to keep a clean sheet again. On November 1st, Beijing Guoan beat Changchun Yatai 4-0 on the road, which was also interim coach Ramiro’s first victory. Winning this match gave the heavily burdened Guoan team some relief. More importantly, the team’s big win shattered the previously circulating rumors of "throwing games."

For Guoan fans, going a whole month without a win was unimaginable in the past, but this year they not only experienced this bitterness but also suffered the pain of opponents scoring at least two goals against Guoan in every match, both in the league and the AFC Champions League.

Fans couldn’t accept it, and the immense pressure left the team and club gasping for air. While the away loss to Shenzhen New Pengcheng could be partly explained by Shenzhen’s resurgence after their coaching change, the subsequent 2-4 home defeat to Qingdao Hainiu left almost everyone puzzled as to why Guoan could be overturned at home by relegation-threatened teams.

As a result, rumors began to spread, claiming that the away loss to Shenzhen and especially the home defeat to Hainiu were “favor matches.” Predictions even said Guoan would deliberately lose to Yatai and Meizhou in the last two league matches, treating these four relegation-threatened teams with “neutrality.” All these stirred a media storm around the club and team.

So why did Guoan suddenly fall into this state, particularly conceding four goals at home to Hainiu? How did the club and team reflect on this? Reporters learned from inside the club that immediately after losing at home to Hainiu, the management communicated with the coaching staff, expressing strong disappointment and dissatisfaction with the result. The club believed that although the first 70 minutes were acceptable, the last 30 minutes needed serious review and errors must be avoided in the future.

Regarding substitutions, tactical arrangements at different times, and adjustments to individual players’ conditions during the match, the club management held in-depth discussions with the coaching team. At this week’s internal review meeting, interim coach Ramiro took full responsibility and urged everyone to avoid excuses, focus on self-reflection and adjustment, and prepare seriously for the match against Changchun Yatai.

Facing Yatai in this match, Guoan had no margin for error. The pressure from the ongoing winless streak was obvious, and losing again to Yatai would make it impossible to refute the “favor match” allegations. Over many years, Guoan and Yatai have maintained a good relationship, with Guoan often loaning or transferring surplus players to Yatai, while some talented Yatai players have moved to Guoan. This close relationship stems directly from the friendly ties between the two clubs’ management.

Before the match, Ramiro purposely brought Serginho, who played for Yatai for five years, to the press conference. Serginho said frankly, “I’m very happy to return to Changchun and really miss my time here. I know Yatai is fighting relegation, but this match is very important to me too. I will give my all to play well out of respect for both sets of fans. I hope Guoan can claim victory in their best form.”

Indeed, facing his former club, Serginho showed no mercy, scoring the opening goal with a header in the first half. This goal was not only Guoan’s 600th away goal in all competitions but also the team’s 81st goal this season across all tournaments, setting a new single-season record, surpassing the 80 goals scored in 2018.

Another standout was the team’s top scorer Fabio. Although Yatai’s current coach Suarez is his former mentor, Fabio demonstrated his professionalism and high level with two goals and one assist. Fabio has now become Guoan’s second captain, and whenever Zhang Xizhe is off the field, Fabio is the primary captain choice, reflecting the team’s trust in him.

Currently second on the scoring chart, Fabio selflessly assisted Zhang Yuning once in this match. This season, Fabio has directly contributed to 30 goals, including 24 goals and 6 assists. The Guoan striker said, “More than my own goals, the team’s victory is what makes me happiest because it’s been too long since we last tasted winning.”

Indeed, Guoan’s last win was over a month ago on September 26th, a 4-2 victory against Dalian Yifang. This match also marked Guoan’s return to a clean sheet victory, the first since August 25th’s 4-0 win over Wuhan Three Towns. Goalkeeper Housen, who kept the goal intact, said after the game, “It’s been a long time since we kept a clean sheet. We all share the belief that we don’t want to keep picking the ball out of the net repeatedly.”

This match was interim coach Ramiro’s first win since taking charge. Since assuming the role, Ramiro has been searching for a style and formation acceptable to both players and fans, with consistently deploying a four-defender line as an example. For Ramiro, the 4-0 victory finally eased some of the pressure and anxiety he felt. The Spanish coach said after the game, “After going through a difficult period, today’s win is very special. I want to congratulate every player; this victory is a reward for all of us. Everyone has worked hard, but it was unfortunate we couldn’t win in the final stages of previous matches.”

Reflecting on the past month of coaching, Ramiro said frankly, “We all went through a tough phase together. In recent weeks, we have improved many details, but ultimately results speak. We want to score goals without conceding to give everyone a good answer. We need to perform well in every match at this stage and maintain strength through the end of the season because victories are crucial for us. We want to keep this winning momentum until the FA Cup final.”

Previously, rumors suggested internal team discord and even mistrust among players. Ramiro responded, “We have faced many difficulties together recently, but we never gave up because I know the players’ quality. We never stopped showing our desire. I hope the tough times are behind us and we can improve as we go. Our Beijing Guoan locker room is very united; we have endured many setbacks together, and I believe this has been a valuable lesson for us.”