Chongqing Tongliang Dragons Secure First CSL Victory at Longxing Stadium, Temporarily Top the League

Report by Journalist Lu Mi On the evening of the 14th, at Chongqing Longxing Football Stadium, Tongliang Dragons' first CSL home match kicked off with a concert-like fervor. A singer's performance ignited the crowd, and the fans' unified cheers became the team's strongest backing, filling the match from the start with unique passion and anticipation. 47,000 tickets were publicly sold, with 43,423 spectators attending, achieving an attendance rate of 92.3%. Compared to their awkward away match against Tianjin Tigers in the first round, in their first home game after returning, coach Liu Jianye directed the young squad to press forward aggressively, delivering an exhilarating offensive battle for the fans. Ultimately, thanks to Kenpanu's direct free-kick goal, Tongliang Dragons secured a 1-0 home victory for their first CSL win. With 4 points from two rounds, they temporarily lead the league standings.

For this match, Tongliang Dragons maintained the lineup and formation from their previous game against Tianjin Tigers, deploying all five foreign players and a five-defender setup, employing a tactical approach completely different from their away strategy. They aimed for an early breakthrough and intense pressure, firmly controlling the offensive tempo from the moment the whistle blew. In the first minute of the match, the team completed their first shot through midfield transition, and two minutes later, they created a corner opportunity. Wave after wave of attacks quickly forced Liaoning Ironmen into defensive passivity.

In the first half, Tongliang Dragons' high-press and aggressive tactics proved highly effective, with frequent midfield ball possession turnovers. Liaoning Ironmen repeatedly made errors in their side and backline passes, leaving their defense consistently disordered and chaotic. Tongliang Dragons seized on their opponents' vulnerabilities, launching counterattacks from the wings using their passing mistakes, securing possession through pressing in the central area for quick transitions, and repeatedly organizing secondary attacks targeting the insufficient personnel in Liaoning's midfield and defense, thoroughly maintaining offensive initiative.

The team's left-wing offense became a highlight of the first half, with Xiang Yuwang's side repeatedly creating threats. In the 16th minute, he received the ball on the left, broke through and cut inside, nearly completing a shot, becoming a crucial breakthrough point for the team's attacks. In the 18th minute, Tongliang Dragons gained an excellent scoring opportunity from a set-piece, with Dimata consecutively attempting two shots, unfortunately one misfired and the other was brilliantly saved by Liaoning goalkeeper Han Rongze, missing a prime chance to score.

Besides this set-piece chance, Tongliang Dragons also created five corner opportunities in the first half, with three consecutive corners causing chaos inside the penalty area, yet still failing to breach the opponent's goal. The tactical design of wing overlaps was highly successful, keeping Liaoning Ironmen suppressed throughout with no chance to retaliate. However, after prolonged attacks without success, Tongliang Dragons nearly suffered a counterattack blow around the 30th minute of the first half when the opponent created an open-goal chance. Fortunately, the team's defenders timely retreated and cleared the ball, avoiding a goal loss due to error.

Neither side achieved anything by halftime, a score starkly contrasting with the match's on-field scenario. Tongliang Dragons completely dominated their opponent, midfield possession seemed effortless, Xiang Yuwang's left wing continuously generated threats, shot count led overwhelmingly 8-0, yet only one shot was on target, and five corners failed to convert into goals. Dimata repeatedly wasted excellent scoring chances, preventing the team's offensive dominance from translating into goals, and he was substituted early by Liu Jianye after playing 64 minutes.

Liaoning Ironmen strengthened the connection between their three lines in the second half, posing a threat to Tongliang Dragons for a period. However, in the 55th minute, Tongliang Dragons' counterattack formed a two-on-two situation, Liaoning defender Vajic recklessly fouled and was red-carded, Tongliang Dragons gained a free-kick opportunity just outside the penalty area. Kenpanu directly scored from the free-kick, finally giving the team the lead. This goal was also the team's first CSL goal.

The 1-0 score was maintained until the end. Through全场压制与不懈进攻, Tongliang Dragons defeated Liaoning Ironmen in their first home match, securing the team's inaugural CSL victory. This goal perfectly embodied the team's tactical execution; this victory was the result of all players' utmost effort, and the best reward for the 43,423 home fans who accompanied and cheered throughout.

After the match concluded, players rushed towards the stands, waving and interacting with fans, sharing this historic moment. From the遗憾 of relentless attacks yielding no result in the first half, to the狂喜 of breaking the deadlock in the second, to the激动 of securing victory at the final whistle, Tongliang Dragons proved the strength of Chongqing football with a thoroughly dominant and exhilarating win. Heading into the upcoming Sichuan-Chongqing derby, carrying the joy and confidence from this victory, Tongliang Dragons will undoubtedly continue riding the waves at home, charging towards more victories.