Meizhou Hakka played Hebei Kungfu in the 24th round of the League One regular season on Friday evening. The visitors took the points with a 3:1 victory after a tight contest. It was a result that shifted the balance in the lower half of the table.
Hebei came out with energy, though the home side made a change early on. H. Vidal came off the bench at 14', perhaps to steady the ship. To be fair, the opening exchanges were cautious, neither side willing to commit too many men forward. The tactical setup suggested both managers were prioritising defensive solidity.
The deadlock broke just before the hour mark when Yang Chaosheng fired home at 59'. By then, the defence had looked organised enough to hold on. But the momentum was already turning against the home side.
Hebei responded quickly with two strikes in the space of eight minutes. Zhang Yudong equalised at 61', followed by Dominic Vinicius making it two away goals at 67'. «And here's the thing», the home side began to crumble under the pressure.
The game seemed over as a contest, yet Hebei added a late flourish. Guo Lingzi scored at 90+6' to seal the win. It was a moment that felt inevitable given the second-half display. Zhao Shuhao picked up a yellow card at 90+4' just before the end. The referee blew for full time shortly after.
The coaches made several changes to manage the tempo. J. Lai and Q. Wen were introduced together at 68', while T. Conraad came on later at 85'. Ma Junliang also saw action at 77'. Du Zhixuan, Li Xuebo and Zhao Shuhao all picked up yellow cards during the second half.
The result leaves Meizhou Hakka in 15th place with 15 points from 24 games. They have struggled to find consistency, with only seven wins so far. Hebei Kungfu sit seventh with 31 points, keeping their European ambitions alive. The gap between them remains significant for now.
