September 7: Wang Yu’s ‘Carp God of War’ Finds Redemption, Montgomery Changes Guoan’s Character; FA Cup Title Push Continues

A team with one foreign player faced five foreign players, was pinned back for 21 shots, conceded a 1-14 corner-kick disadvantage, allowed 16-1 shots inside the box, and had 40% possession.

By all logic, this should have been a one-sided massacre.

Yet the scoreboard showed 0-0, and the best player of the match went to the 37-year-old visiting goalkeeper Hou Sen.

Even more surprisingly, Guoan could not fill the 23-man squad list, with four foreign players all sitting in the stands in casual clothes. Kongte was injured, Spajic was still recovering, Davan was suspended, and Fabio travelled with the team to Shanghai but felt discomfort in his hamstring before the match, so Montgomery removed him from the squad. Looking through the starting lineup, there was only one foreign player: Portuguese centre-back Guilherme Ramos, No. 5.

This depleted squad still took one point away from the defending champions’ home ground.

The most touching thing after the match was not the statistics, but Wang Yu’s words. The defensive midfielder who joined from Changchun Yatai at the start of the season was once criticized by fans so heavily that he avoided reading comments. In the 12th league round against Qingdao Hainiu, he made a mistake shortly after coming on as a substitute and gifted a goal, and the heavily sarcastic nickname “Carp God of War” spread from then on.

He started as a defensive midfielder in this match with one task: to contain Leonardo. He completed 29 of 38 passes, ran until cramps hit him in the 80th minute, and gritted his teeth to push forward for several more minutes.

After the match, reporters asked him about fan comments, and he said: “Whether they criticize me, scold me, or encourage me, I’m grateful to the fans anyway.”

There is not much to say after hearing that.

Going back one day, at 19:35 on September 5, at Pudong Football Stadium.

Shanghai Port started Leonardo, Anpum, Jean Claude, Melendo and Vital as five foreign players, while Wu Lei waited on the bench. Muscat’s 3-4-3 stretched the width of the pitch, with both wing-backs pushing forward, and even right centre-back Jean Claude frequently attacking from the right. That side faced Zhang Xizhe and Bai Yang, increasing pressure on Guoan’s left flank.

Soon after kickoff, Cao Yongjing hit a long-range shot from the edge of the penalty arc that went just past the post, basically Guoan’s biggest threat in the first half.

For the rest of the time, the ball stayed around Guoan’s half.

Montgomery made a rare adjustment this season. He moved Wang Yu back into the centre-back position when defending, turning the back four directly into a back five. The importance was not only adding another defender; with Wang in the middle, Ramos could move slightly left, finally filling the gap on Bai Yang’s side.

The midfield still kept four players, Zhang Xizhe stayed in position, Cao Yongjing moved from the right wing into central midfield, and Yang Liyu dropped from the attack to the right side.

Some fans said this style meant Guoan had no attack. But in that match, being able to defend was the biggest form of attack.

0-0 at halftime.

In the second half, Port’s shots increased from eight to 13, making 21 in total. Hou Sen saved everything high and low; Liu Zhurun’s header, Li Shuai’s shot, Anpum’s strike and Li Xinxiang’s close-range header were all kept out.

In the 75th minute, Wu Lei’s low shot was saved by Hou Sen. In the 89th minute, Wu Lei took a free kick near the edge of the box, the ball deflected off a player and went just wide of the right post.

Port kept attacking during stoppage time.

Ramos recorded nine clearances, four tackles, four interceptions and four successful aerial duels. He received a 7.6 rating after the match, the highest on the team and higher than any opponent.

Another detail many may have missed: in the 65th minute, Port won a free kick in the attacking area. Wang Gang noticed Wei Zhen was unmarked and quickly told Deng Jiefu to mark him. Melendo’s delivery was aimed directly at Wei Zhen, and although Deng could not stop him completely, his physical pressure prevented a comfortable header and gave Hou Sen a chance to come out.

The substitution in the 78th minute was also interesting. Guoan and Port prepared substitutions at the same time. Port’s player came on, but Jia Feifan and Cheng Xi waited on the sideline because Port were about to take a corner. Making two substitutions immediately would have disrupted marking, so they waited until the attack ended.

These details were not always something the previous Guoan team could produce.

Hou Sen’s post-match comments were even more worth considering. He said before the match many outsiders did not expect much from them, saying they had many injuries and that after going so many games unbeaten, they were bound to lose eventually.

“The coach told us we are a family. As a family, someone must step up when we are facing difficulties.”

Someone asked him that after the match against Shenhua the opposing coach said he should be the best player, and now he had won the award again in Shanghai, whether he was especially in form there.

Hou Sen said: “I actually hope my form is better in Beijing, because that is my home.”

At 37 years old, he has started 23 league matches this season, made 72 saves and kept nine clean sheets. He said difficult matches show the results of his more than 30 years of practicing saves every day.

Regarding why Fabio did not play, Montgomery said clearly after the match that Fabio felt some discomfort in his hamstring, and forcing him to play could carry risks and affect his later Asian Champions League performances. Fabio, Kongte and Spajic had similar situations. As a coach, he must consider players’ conditions and cannot let them take such risks.

He had already said the same at the pre-match press conference: they could force the players to play, but with league, cup and Asian Champions League commitments crowded into the final two months, taking short-term risks would affect long-term plans.

Therefore, this draw was to some extent a result of a proactive choice.

Montgomery was officially announced on January 8. Born in 1981, he played nearly 400 Premier League and Championship matches for Sheffield United, later joined Australian club Central Coast Mariners, and became head coach after retirement, winning the A-League title in his second season. He later became a Tottenham assistant and helped win the 2024-25 Europa League, and also worked with Nottingham Forest.

At his unveiling, he said he was born into the working class and understood the tradition and connection of supporters. He also joked with Zhang Xizhe that when they met in the 2014 Asian Champions League, “you kicked me very hard, but I forgave you.”

After 26 rounds, Guoan have 11 wins, 10 draws and five losses, ranking third with 38 points. They started the season carrying a five-point deduction. Dalian Yingbo are second with 40 points, Qingdao West Coast follow on the same points, Shandong Taishan have 37 points, Chengdu Rongcheng lead with 51 points, and Shanghai Port are seventh with 33 points from 26 matches.

The numbers make Guoan’s situation clear: the title race only remains mathematically possible, while securing a top-four finish and an Asian qualification spot is the practical goal.

The more realistic path is the cup competition. On September 1, in the FA Cup quarter-final, Guoan beat Chinese League Two dark horses Lanzhou Longyuan Athletic 3-1 at home, with local attackers Zhang Yuning and Cao Yongjing in excellent form. Port beat Shandong Taishan 3-0 away.

The semi-final is on November 21 at Workers’ Stadium, with Guoan facing Port.

After this 0-0 draw, both teams effectively gained an early understanding of each other.

Yang Liyu is also returning to form. He delivered a curling shot in the 68th minute, but Sergio failed to connect with enough power. Zhang Xizhe was replaced by Deng Jiefu at the start of the second half because his fitness could not last, and Deng also unlocked a new central midfield role.

Cao Yongjing, Ru Zinan and Zhang Yuning all fought until the final minute.

Looking back at Wang Yu’s interview and his line, “I will continue to be myself and do my best to handle things well.”

A team’s character is difficult to define, but sometimes one match reveals it. Previously Guoan tended to fall apart after conceding, but in this match they were under pressure for 90 minutes with no complaints or gestures of frustration, only covering, shouting, organizing and continuing to run even after cramps.

On September 15, Guoan will face Pohang Steelers at Workers’ Stadium in the Asian Champions League.

Before that, take a rest.

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