Chapter 126: You Are Still Quite Naive

Following the conclusion of this round of matches, the local fans and media supporting Qingdao Haifeng were plunged into mourning. An eight-game winless streak in a thirty-round league is nothing short of a disaster. Although Dalian Botao, sitting fourth from the bottom, lost their away match against league leaders Xiamen Lions—narrowing the gap between them and Qingdao Haifeng by one point—Qingdao Haifeng’s next fixture is an away trip to second-placed Changchun Yatai. Meanwhile, Dalian Botao will host Hunan Xiangjiang, the team sixth from the bottom, making it highly probable that the point gap will widen once again.

Two consecutive away games presented a severe test for Qingdao Haifeng. It was another week with two matches, constant travel, the pressure of a winless streak, and the suspension of their primary defensive midfielder, Li Erlong. Everywhere one looked, there was nothing but bad news.

In Cai Sheng’s view, the two-game week was manageable; although travel took a toll, his starters always had good stamina. The pressure of the winless streak could be solved with a single victory. As for Li Erlong’s suspension, Huang Zhenghong would take his place. Facing a strong opponent was no problem—they just needed to fight.

However, Cai Sheng was hesitant about whether to start Long Bisheng.

The opponent for the twenty-first round was indeed formidable. Although Changchun Yatai was a China League One team, they boasted four or five former members of China’s Olympic squad from the previous year. After several years of refinement, these players possessed the quality to compete in the top flight and achieve good results, a fact clearly demonstrated by their excellent performance in the league this year. Facing such a strong opponent, it hardly seemed like the ideal stage for Long Bisheng’s professional debut. A first impression is vital; if he performed poorly, his confidence would suffer a major blow. Cai Sheng was counting on Long's height and physical impact to score goals later on, and if this match ruined his form for future games, he would rather sacrifice this one.

Long Bisheng’s situation was different from Huang Zhenghong’s. Huang was a midfielder; if he performed adequately, no one would criticize him. But as a forward—the position most likely to be in the spotlight—any poor performance would be magnified under a microscope. Furthermore, Long Bisheng was a total rookie with absolutely no professional experience.

Consequently, three days later, Cai Sheng sent Huang Zhenghong to replace Li Erlong. The rest of the lineup remained unchanged, and Long Bisheng remained on the bench.

"Cai Sheng was a great player, but he may not be a good coach now," the Changchun TV host remarked with a smile as he saw Cai Sheng’s unchanged lineup. "This starting eleven is essentially Qingdao Haifeng’s main roster for the season, save for the seventeen-year-old Huang Zhenghong filling in for the suspended Li Erlong. With this lineup, they’ve managed two points in three games, and the previous coach only won twice in seventeen rounds. If this lineup were truly effective, would Qingdao Haifeng have fallen to this point? Remember, they finished one place higher than us in the standings last year."

"They’ve played twenty rounds, and Qingdao Haifeng has conceded thirty-five goals. For a team deep in the relegation zone, that’s not too many, but they’ve only scored twenty-one. Their defense isn’t the main issue; the problem lies in their attack. Their two starting forwards, Lv Baozi and Ricardo, have combined for only ten goals. Lv Baozi is decent; despite only six goals, his playmaking in the front court is a major weapon. But Ricardo only has four. If Qingdao had a forward capable of scoring or providing a physical presence, their situation would be much better. This foreign forward is simply not up to the task; Qingdao’s recruitment this year has been a failure. Unfortunately, they couldn’t bring in a striker during the mid-season transfer window. Cai Sheng’s appointment was just too rushed." The guest commentator added with a smirk.

"It’s not as if they didn’t bring in a forward... just a week ago, they signed a seventeen-year-old named Long Bisheng from Yunjia Tianyu," the host said while flipping through his notes. Both he and the guest laughed. Seventeen years old? What could he possibly accomplish? It was a classic case of clutching at straws.

"Barring any surprises, we should definitely take this match. Xiamen was held to a draw yesterday, which is a perfect opportunity for us to overtake them!" The host and guest seemed correct. As soon as the match began, Changchun Yatai used their superior attack and home-field advantage to pin Qingdao Haifeng entirely in their own half. The midfield was firmly controlled by former Olympic team regulars Du Zhenyu—who had transferred from Yunjia Tianyu—and the foreign player Sabic. Meanwhile, the forward duo of the tall Cao Liang and the fast Wan Rui created constant threats in the Qingdao penalty area. The Changchun fans in the stands roared, as if they were on the verge of breaking Qingdao apart.

Qingdao Haifeng held firm against the pressure. In their defensive shell, the two tall center-backs excelled; Lu Dashan consistently cleared headers, while Wu Jize provided cover. After an initial adjustment period, Huang Zhenghong settled in, using his tireless running and excellent tackling to form an impenetrable barrier in front of the box.

The first half ended scoreless. The hosts had registered sixteen shots—an average of one every three minutes—while Qingdao had only managed two. Yet, they had withstood the onslaught and preserved their clean sheet. Despite the home fans jeering their defensive tactics, holding Changchun scoreless at home was, by any measure, a massive victory.

During halftime, Cai Sheng praised the team and emphasized continuing the same defensive approach in the second half. He also instructed Lv Baozi to use his individual dribbling ability to create trouble for the opponent's defense when in possession, hoping to draw free kicks. Even if they couldn’t win, stealing a point from Changchun would be a success.

Long Bisheng listened to the tactical instructions from the sidelines and felt something was off. With only one forward in the front court, the pressure on the opponent’s defense was minimal, only emboldening them to attack more recklessly. It was no secret that Qingdao relied heavily on free kicks; surely the opponent would prepare for that?

He thought this but couldn't bring himself to say it; he wasn't sure if his assessment was correct, and besides, the coach had his own considerations.

With that, Long Bisheng felt a sense of resignation. Deep down, he felt that if he were on the pitch, their counterattacks would be much more effective—just clear the ball high, and as long as he could win most of the headers, he would force the opponent to commit more defenders, easing the pressure on his own team. The foreign forward had been invisible in the first half, failing to pose any threat to the defense. Long Bisheng was confident he wouldn't be so ineffective.

The second half began. Feeling humiliated by the lack of goals in the first half, Changchun Yatai launched an even more aggressive attack. Their front court, composed entirely of former Olympic players and foreign talent, looked even more threatening, knocking on Qingdao’s door time and again.

"The pressure is too great..." Cai Sheng thought to himself, hoping his players could control the ball, but they couldn't. Changchun Yatai pressed high immediately after losing possession, and their superior technical coordination made it look easy.

Finally, Qingdao Haifeng’s midfield successfully delivered the ball to Lv Baozi. He carried it past the halfway line, and despite being double-teamed, stubbornly pushed into the final thirty meters before drawing a foul. The referee immediately awarded Qingdao a free kick.

Having waited for this chance, Qingdao’s best aerial threats surged into the Changchun half to contest the ball.

Liu Ziyan lofted the ball into the box, but Changchun’s center-back, former Olympic player Zhang Baofeng, made a beautiful header clearance!

"Defend!" Cai Sheng finally sensed the danger, but it was too late!

The foreign player Sabic took the ball and deftly passed it to Du Zhenyu near the center circle. The former Olympic winger used a brilliant turn to shake off the desperately lunging Huang Zhenghong and surged across the halfway line!

Xie Hui, who had come to cover, was also bypassed. Du Zhenyu then slipped the ball to an unmarked Cao Liang before Wu Jize could reach him. Cao Liang fired a low shot past the onrushing Han Feng. One-nil. Changchun Yatai had finally taken the lead!

Amidst the cheers of the Changchun fans, head coach Cheng Jingang stood up, clapped his hands, and sat back down. He knew Qingdao Haifeng was not easy to deal with; their defense was indeed excellent. He had noticed that their primary goal-scoring weapon was the free kick, and the experienced Cheng Jingang had used that to his advantage, breaking the deadlock with a single, beautiful counterattack. Without that, it would have been hard to break them down.

Now, with the lead, the rest of the game would be easier. If Qingdao didn't attack, they would maintain their advantage; if Qingdao pushed forward, gaps would appear in their backline. Moreover, Cheng Jingang didn't believe Qingdao’s offense could do anything against his defense.

Cai Sheng, you were a fine player, but as a coach... you are still far too green!