On April 17th at 8 PM, Wuhan Three Towns FC, having finished a run of three consecutive away games, will return home to face the Chinese Super League leaders, Chengdu Rongcheng FC. Judging by Wuhan Three Towns’ recent performances, the entire team is currently in a “low period” of form. However, the severe situation leaves no time for adjustments. Regardless of the outcome, every player of Wuhan Three Towns must fight with all their might.
The 2026 CSL season began for Wuhan Three Towns with a schedule of “two home games and three away games.” Despite losing 0:2 at home to Beijing Guoan FC in the opening round, a resounding 4:1 home victory over Dalian Yingbo in the second round and a 1:1 away draw against a formidable Henan FC side in the third round showed fans a new look for the team this season.
Subsequently, the team’s “low period” arrived quietly. Following a short break for international matches, on April 5th, Wuhan Three Towns suffered a 2:5 away defeat to Shenzhen Xinpengcheng FC, their second loss of the season. Conceding five goals in a single match equaled the team’s record for most goals conceded in a game.
It is worth noting that in that match, the entire Wuhan Three Towns team was off form. Not only the domestic players but also foreign players like Schorr appeared lost under the opponent’s tight marking. The sharp counter-attacks seen in the first two rounds vanished, and the team’s defense was dismal. Admittedly, the current defensive line has weaknesses in physical duels and aerial ability, but defense is not solely the responsibility of a few defenders. The protection from the midfield and the pressing from the forwards were also inadequate. After the match, the head coach stated that the team did not do enough to restrict the opponent in the first half, allowing them to score two goals in just over twenty minutes, which led to a completely passive game situation. The opponent’s foreign striker scoring two nearly identical headed goals from corner kicks was particularly painful. “We practice set-piece defense every week in training. In the previous match against Henan, they might have had 12 corners in the first half, but our defense was very solid…”
A week later, on April 11th, a renewed Wuhan Three Towns faced the newly-promoted Chongqing Tonglianglong away. The team still hadn’t recovered from the heavy defeat to Shenzhen. Within 15 minutes of kickoff, the goalkeeper fumbled a save, allowing an opponent to tap into an empty net. In the 23rd minute, a composed cross from the flank by Chongqing Tonglianglong found the head of 19-year-old Zhang Zhixiong, who scored.
Once again, Wuhan Three Towns conceded two goals within the first twenty-odd minutes, sending team morale to rock bottom. Even playing with a man advantage for nearly 30 minutes in the second half, they only managed to pull one goal back from a corner, ultimately losing 1:2.
Objectively looking at the “two consecutive defeats,” while factors like the quality of the opponents’ foreign players (e.g., the strong impact of Shenzhen’s Wesley and Benkovic) played a role, it was more due to the overall team’s low morale and laxity, making it too easy for opponents to score. As stated, the team failed to apply sufficient pressure and restriction.
However, the CSL shows no mercy to the weak. After the two losses, Wuhan Three Towns’ ranking quickly dropped to 14th place, holding only a 2-point advantage above the relegation zone. In the next three matches, besides facing the league leaders Chengdu Rongcheng, the team will also play against CSL powerhouse Zhejiang FC and last season’s champions Shanghai Port FC.
In fact, Wuhan Three Towns has encountered the most difficult phase of the new CSL season. This requires all players and coaching staff to recognize the situation, unite, and fight for every inch of the pitch and every ball, no matter the opponent. Only by first rediscovering their fighting spirit and giving their all can Wuhan Three Towns find a glimmer of hope for victory in the brutal battles of the CSL ahead.
