The Big Stage
Can we win in the big house?
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The Big Stage
Tianjin isn’t the prettiest city in the world, but the team certainly does have a large stadium.
We weren’t intimidated, however.
We didn’t just beat Tianjin. We dominated them.
We let Tianjin have possession for most of the match, and still won, 4-0. We won in convincing fashion, too, allowing only 2 shots, shooting 24 of our own, and raking up an xG of 3.60 against their measley 0.10.
I thought we played well. Mueanta had 2 goals, Rovaglia had an early one, and Delfi added to his total. We simply let Tianjin hold onto the ball, waited for them to stop kicking it around in their own half, and then counterattacked as soon as we could get the ball off of them.
Now, the board and our supporters were less than impressed. I suppose we’re supposed to be focusing on playing a possession-based game, rather than just soaking up the attack and letting loose when they least expect it.
But what do they want me to do — give the win back?
The Torres Saga
Juan David Torres has apparently been feeling left out lately.
We’ve only played him twice this season. We started him once, and let him come in as a substitute in another game. And he wasn’t impressive in either one.
It’s not that Torres is an awful player. It’s his morale that hurts. He was upset about being left off the Conference League squad. I feel bad for him, but the truth is that he’s simply not good enough to be considered a starting centerback for this club anymore.
Anyway, we’re going to wind up having to sell him. He doesn’t have much potential at age 23, and there aren’t many teams interested in taking him off our hands. I’m starting to regret paying 4 million RMB for him back in the beginning.
I guess you can’t win them all.
Beijing Sport University
We’re up against Beijing Sport University, and we should win this one easily.
This is a good chance for our younger, less experienced players to shine. Let’s see if they can put on a show!
We’ve got an international break after this, which can help us catch our breath before the next big surge of matches comes in December.
New to the series? Come catch up here!