GoalSir, September 22, 2024 – In the 26th round of the Chinese Super League, HenanFC defeated Chengdu Rongcheng 2-0 at home, presenting the best gift for the club’s 30th anniversary. After the match, “Soccer News” published an article analyzing the reasons for HenanFC victory and commenting on the significance of this win.
Compared to the four-defender formation used in the previous round against Tianjin Tigers, Nan Ji’s strategy this time was not purely stubbornly aimed at proving his own philosophy. Although it was a four-defender formation, it transformed into a five-defender formation when defending, with a clear counterattack strategy. The entire formation and positioning were no longer single and inflexible as before, constantly changing with the progress of the game and different situations. In this process, the Henan players obviously felt no discomfort, and the execution ability of the three lines was the best since the start of this season.
Chengdu Rongcheng rested Romulo due to injury, saving strength for the midweek FA Cup match. Xu Zhengyuan never expected that his team would be tightly guarded one-on-one by Henan in the attacking end. Without the core midfielder, the front line couldn’t control the ball or organize the ball possession, leading to significant obstruction. On the defensive end, they were also overwhelmed by Henan’s counterattacks. Eventually, Nazario scored with a pass and a shot, and Kevic scored with a header, as Henan Team achieved their first victory against Chengdu Rongcheng at home.
Throughout the thirty-year history of Henan Club, it has neither been a championship contender nor a giant club. Both the team’s performance and the club’s operation have had their own clear positioning every year. Over the past three years, Henan Club has undergone three shareholding reforms, with one failure and two successes, surviving while also providing reference cases for many clubs currently undergoing or considering shareholding reforms.
Only after experiencing the devastation following the retreat of the golden age of football can one understand that “surviving” in this era requires utmost effort. The reason why Henan Club has earned respect from other clubs is not solely due to its performance and ranking, but more importantly, due to its thirty-year accumulation and inheritance, as well as its eternal grassroots spirit.