In the Centennial School Cup | Hunan Derby, Yali narrowly claimed their first victory.

20th Middle School of Hengyang (Chuan Mountain English School)

By Zuo Rui To achieve victory against Changsha Yali Foreign Language School in their first match, the 20th Middle School of Hengyang (Chuan Mountain English School) made ample preparations and gave their all during the game, showcasing their strong fighting spirit with the Xiang Super League motto "13 power banks to challenge Changsha." Unfortunately, the home team, Chuan Ying, lost 0-2 to Yali.

As the defending champions of the U13 group in the previous Youth Championship, Yali found it hard to avoid being targeted by opponents. According to head coach Wen Fan, they have grown accustomed to facing aggressive tactics from rivals in recent years, as "pre-match motivation tends to easily spark their fighting spirit." The highlight of the first day of the second Centennial School Cup Elite Exchange Tournament on the afternoon of the 15th was the "Hunan Derby," featuring 16 teams from 14 provinces and cities across the country divided into four groups. The match attracted many parents and peers from both Changsha and Hengyang to watch.

Chuan Ying's head coach Wang Kai

Before the match, Chuan Ying's head coach Wang Kai revealed in an interview that his motivation for coaching stemmed from a sense of frustration—since he started playing in provincial competitions as a youth, teams from Hengyang have been consistently dominated by their Changsha counterparts. From the start, the home team's coaching staff clearly intended to apply high pressure and tight defense to force mistakes from their opponents, aiming to launch deadly counterattacks utilizing the forwards' speed.

The home team's fierce tackling and relentless energy forced the visitors to adapt early, substituting attacking midfielder Zhang Xuanhe in the 27th minute to "reduce the risk of losing possession." Although Yali's attack and defense were more structured and strategic, they could only end the first half at 0-0 against their opponent's highly targeted tactics.

Just five minutes into the second half, a visiting defender received two yellow cards and was sent off, while the home team's forward managed to get past the opposing goalkeeper for the third time. On one occasion, the ball was cleared off the goal line by a recovering defender, while the other two attempts missed the open goal. Clearly, this aggressive goalkeeper had already drawn the attention of the visiting coaching staff, as the tense situation began to tilt towards Chuan Ying's first victory. In the 25th minute, the roles reversed, and it was the home team that made a mistake, conceding a penalty in their own box! Six minutes later, Yali scored again.

After falling behind by two goals, Chuan Ying continued to counterattack during stoppage time, with the quick Wu Bailin hitting the post twice, eliciting sighs from the crowd. Although the score did not change, this match might have been the closest Hengyang football has come to "turning the tide" after years of competition with Changsha. After the match, Wang Kai expressed regret over the score and the players' ability to seize opportunities, but also acknowledged the team's fighting spirit, tenacity, and tactical execution.

Wen Fan stated that he had anticipated the opponent's fierce style and meticulous preparation, and he was pleased that his team could overcome the challenge of playing with one less player, noting, "This is also a great experience for us." Additionally, he personally did not feel that the atmosphere of "Xiang Super League attacking Changsha" influenced this match, saying, "After all, the participants are just kids; everyone is very innocent and only wants to play seriously."

Head coach Wen Fan of Yali Foreign Language School