West Coast vs Tongliang Dragons: A clash between two post-80s local young managers of private enterprise clubs.

Journalist Lu Mi reports. This weekend, the 23rd round of the Chinese Super League is about to begin. Chengdu Rongcheng has a clear advantage, and the championship seems to be without suspense. Currently, only two issues are pending: who will take second place, secure the Asian competition spots, and the fate of the relegation teams.

This season, besides the 48-year-old middle-aged local coach Li Guoxu leading Dalian Yingbo, two other teams have put pressure on Chengdu Rongcheng: Qingdao West Coast and Chongqing Tongliang Dragons. These two teams are managed by 46-year-old Zheng Zhi and 39-year-old Liu Jianye, who are the most watched local post-80s coaches in the Chinese Super League this season.

Both are representatives of the new generation of domestic coaches, holding different cards and taking distinct coaching paths. Qingdao West Coast has been on a strong run recently, currently ranking second on the table. Meanwhile, Chongqing Tongliang Dragons, despite recent poor form, has long occupied second place in the CSL this season. Considering that both young managers lead clubs invested by private enterprises and are representatives of rational investment, their performance is already impressive enough.

Both Qingdao West Coast and Chongqing Tongliang Dragons are small and medium-sized clubs invested by private enterprises, adhering to rational investment and a cost-effective team-building philosophy.

From the current situation, Qingdao West Coast's overall season investment is between 120 million and 150 million yuan. According to a professional evaluation agency, the team's total estimated value is about 6.7 million euros, ranking in the lower reaches of the CSL, at 13th place. Before the season, West Coast also lost key players: midfielder Xu Bin transferred to Wolves in the Championship, and full-back Yang Xi transferred to Shanghai Port. Therefore, they were widely considered a relegation candidate by outsiders.

Chongqing Tongliang Dragons are a promoted team that completed a four-level jump in four years. Their overall season budget is not much, similar to Qingdao West Coast, with a total team value of about 8.6 million euros. The club strictly sets a maximum salary for local players, has no high-paid veterans, adheres to light-weight operations, and prepares for the CSL based on the original China League One squad. Although Tongliang Dragons' overall book value is slightly higher than West Coast, they have many young players, giving them a slight disadvantage in experience, especially in squad depth.

In terms of foreign player configuration, both teams follow a cost-effective pragmatic approach, but the positional distribution, technical characteristics, and value structure of their foreign players differ.

Qingdao West Coast's foreign players have a total value close to 4.9 million euros, with the focus on the front three: Nelson Luz, Davidson, and Aziz. The highest-valued Ghanaian striker Aziz is estimated at 1.5-1.8 million euros, possessing pivot, penalty area poaching, and playmaking abilities, with statistics of 4 goals and 6 assists this season. The 35-year-old veteran Davidson, valued at 200,000 euros, plays a key connecting role in the midfield and frontline, with many matches contributing key passes, acting as the team's tactical lubricant. Nelson Luz is responsible for attacking and scoring, with 8 goals and 4 assists this season, making him the team's top scorer.

Memišević anchors the defense, responsible for interceptions and clearances, while also participating in set-piece attacks. Another foreign player, Bruno, joined the team mid-season and has just obtained eligibility to play. Overall, West Coast's foreign players are not super stars, but their roles are clear. The forward line, midfield, and defense all have foreign players supporting, covering both ends of the pitch.

Chongqing Tongliang Dragons' foreign players have a total value lower than West Coast, with signings mainly through loans and free transfers, and very low loan fees. Foreign player resources are heavily tilted towards the defense, with relatively weak reserve in the front line. Forward foreign player Di Mata has 7 goals this season, making him the team's top scorer, good at counter-attacking sprints; midfielder Kenpanu has 5 goals and 5 assists, taking charge of set-piece kicks and midfield transition tasks.

Tongliang Dragons have three foreign players sharing defensive duties. Amadou is a midfield shield responsible for interceptions, while Ngadeu and Lukang are both starting defenders. This defensive-oriented foreign player configuration makes the team one of the teams with the fewest goals conceded in the CSL. However, the lack of attacking foreign players limits the team's offensive patterns. Once the two front-line foreign players' form fluctuates, the attack immediately falls into trouble, which is why Tongliang Dragons currently rank last in the CSL in terms of goals scored.

In terms of domestic player configuration, Qingdao West Coast's approach is to combine veterans with promising young players, pairing experience with vitality. Zhang Chengdong, Peng Xinli, Zhang Xiuwei and others, who have CSL and national team experience, provide ample experience in the local midfield and defense. At the same time, the team has a reserve of young rotation players, making the age structure more reasonable. Goalkeeper Li Hao is a mainstay of the U23 national team, often making heroic saves to keep the goal intact. West Coast did not pursue a large-scale youth army; instead, they chose local players with CSL practical experience as the mainstay, ensuring game reading ability and pressure resistance.

Chongqing Tongliang Dragons, on the other hand, have a lineup entirely based on local youth. Many U21 and U23 players are starters or regular rotation players. Xiang Yuwang, Li Zhenquan and others have followed the team through the four-level jump. Domestic signings are mainly young players on free transfers or loans, with only a few veterans added. The average age of the local squad is only 23.6 years, making it one of the youngest teams in the CSL.

Captain Xiang Yuwang was the local golden boot during the team's China League One period, and has scored 2 goals so far this season. The 19-year-old goalkeeper Yao Haoyang has secured the starting goalkeeper position, making 50 successful saves this season, becoming the most crucial barrier in the team's defense. Du Yuezheng, Zhang Zhixiong, Yue Ruijie and many other young players have received stable playing opportunities. The team's local players are young, with stamina and fighting spirit as advantages, but they generally lack experience in tough CSL top-level matches. Facing high-intensity league competition, they inevitably fluctuate and still have much room for growth.

Zheng Zhi and Liu Jianye are both representatives of the young generation of domestic coaches in the CSL. Both took over teams with ordinary squads, even mid-to-lower strength, yet they have successively occupied second place in the league. Their coaching experiences and styles present a stark contrast. Zheng Zhi experienced difficulties such as a poor start and a 6-match suspension, yet the team remained stable, maintained an unbeaten streak for many rounds, and continued to challenge for higher positions. Liu Jianye led the inexperienced promoted team to long-term second place on the table, but has recently seen some fluctuations.

At the beginning of this season, Zheng Zhi took over from Shao Jiayi, but his first challenge was that the original squad was dismantled. The departures of Xu Bin and Yang Xi left the team a bit weak in certain positions. In the early matches, West Coast only achieved 1 win in 11 rounds, with 7 draws in between. At that time, public opinion generally believed that Zheng Zhi lacked coaching experience and that Qingdao West Coast would fall into the relegation mire.

After quickly recognizing the squad's limitations, Zheng Zhi made key tactical changes, abandoning unrealistic possession-based ideas and making the play more direct. In daily training, he also placed more emphasis on the safety of backline passing, prioritizing stability. After a period, the team's defensive statistics rapidly improved. After April, they only suffered one defeat by a margin of 3 goals, and the team started to get on track.

In the 9th round of the league against Shandong Taishan, Zheng Zhi was given a 6-match suspension for unsportsmanlike behavior due to dissatisfaction with a decision. Although unable to coach from the sidelines, Zheng Zhi fully led training, tactical deployment, and personnel adjustments. Assistant coach Huang Bowen was responsible for executing the tactics on the field. The team maintained an unbeaten streak of 13 league rounds, climbing steadily in the rankings. After the suspension ended, Zheng Zhi officially returned, and Qingdao West Coast continued to maintain their competitiveness. Recently, they defeated Liaoning Tieren and Qingdao Hainiu, and drew with Henan, rising to 2nd place on the table.

So far this season, Qingdao West Coast can be described as starting low and rising high. They have experienced heavy defeats and a head coach suspension crisis, but the tactical system is relatively stable. Even when Zheng Zhi could not be on the sidelines, the entire playing style could still be executed. Zheng Zhi's coaching characteristic lies in his ability to quickly correct his tactical thinking based on the situation, and he is also good at integrating veterans and foreign players to maximize the value of the players. Of course, the team has not shown enough vitality in attack. They concede few goals but also score few, and a large number of draws also indicate certain limitations in the team's playing style.

This season, Liu Jianye led Chongqing Tongliang Dragons in the CSL. At the beginning of his tenure, he was even less favored by outsiders than Zheng Zhi. Compared to Zhang Wailong who led the team to promotion, he only had brief coaching experience in the China League One, which indeed made people less confident. A young coach paired with a promoted team is often a relegation-zone combination, but Liu Jianye delivered an impressive first-half performance with Chongqing Tongliang Dragons.

After fully understanding the team, Liu Jianye based his approach on the team's youth and abundant stamina, primarily using a five-back formation with two foreign center-backs for defensive counter-attacks. In most matches, he voluntarily gave up possession, relying on full-team retreat to solidify the defense, then exploiting the space left by opponents pressing forward to launch quick counter-attacks. Additionally, he took advantage of opponents' declining stamina, playing more proactively and speeding up the tempo in the second half.

Meanwhile, Liu Jianye carefully studied the personnel and tactical characteristics of each opponent in every match, preparing thoroughly from playing style to game tempo and on-the-spot adjustments. In his words, by specifically restricting opponents, he could elevate the team's 50-point paper strength to 70 points. For example, in the two Southwest Derby matches against Chengdu Rongcheng, there was a huge gap in paper strength, but he managed to secure two draws from the opponent. In both derbies, after substitutions in the second half, Tongliang Dragons changed the tempo, leading to score changes. In the first half of the season, the team had 6 wins, 6 draws, and 3 losses, long staying in second place, creating the best first-half performance for Chongqing professional football in the top flight. Chongqing Tongliang Dragons transformed from a promoted team into the biggest dark horse.

However, recently, as players have been playing for a long time, Chongqing Tongliang Dragons' overall form has fluctuated. In the entire month of July, they struggled to win a single league match, only achieving 2 draws and 2 losses. The reasons are simple: on one hand, the team lacks squad depth. Once the key players, especially foreign players, suffer injuries or fatigue, the counter-attack system carefully built by Liu Jianye is disrupted. On the other hand, as they faced CSL opponents one by one in the first half of the season, while Liu Jianye was studying his opponents, he was also being studied. Many teams have made targeted arrangements to limit Tongliang Dragons' counter-attack routes.

Under the condition of limited personnel allocation, bringing the promoted team to its current position has already proven the effectiveness of Liu Jianye's pragmatic tactics. His on-the-spot adjustments and adaptability are also commendable. How to overcome the recent poor performance is a test for Liu Jianye, and it also gives Chongqing Tongliang Dragons club new thinking space for next year's signings and operational strategies.

Both Zheng Zhi and Liu Jianye are bold in their use of players, both heavily utilizing U21 and U23 players this season. However, their methods of using newcomers differ. Liu Jianye's Chongqing Tongliang Dragons directly push young players into starting positions, making the youth the cornerstone of the team; Zheng Zhi's Qingdao West Coast uses some veterans as a foundation, leading young players step by step to find playing opportunities through competition. Each model has its own characteristics.

Under Liu Jianye, Chongqing Tongliang Dragons are one of the teams with the highest proportion of U21 players' appearances in the CSL this season. The starting lineup often features four or five U21 players simultaneously. The team's overall foundation is youth and localization. The coach relies on young players to earn points while also helping them grow.

The 19-year-old goalkeeper Yao Haoyang has secured the starting goalkeeper position for the season, playing full-time in the CSL. He has made many crucial saves in key matches. Facing the impact of various foreign players in the CSL, Yao Haoyang has shown psychological maturity beyond his age, becoming one of the most stable and surprising goalkeepers this season. The 21-year-old Du Yuezheng, as a stable forward rotation starter, has come off the bench multiple times, contributing 2 goals and showcasing his strong impact in matches. The 19-year-old Zhang Zhixiong, with 20 appearances, has recorded 1 goal and 3 assists, steadily occupying a playing spot as a U21 player. Zhang Yingkai, Yue Ruijie, Wu Yuxi and several other U23 players have all received stable league playing time.

Tongliang Dragons directly push newcomers into starting positions, and a large number of young players directly experience high-intensity training in the CSL, quickly improving their skills. This is the gain. The risk is that the CSL competition is fierce, young players have large psychological fluctuations, and insufficient game reading ability leads to increased mistakes in matches, affecting their mentality. Xiang Yuwang, as the team's core and former China League One golden boot, has seen a significant decline in goal efficiency in the CSL. This is a problem young players encounter. Liu Jianye continuously adjusts his position on the field, trying roles such as shadow striker, defensive midfielder, and winger to help him adapt to CSL changes. In daily training, he also encourages him, hoping he can "regain his scoring touch" in time.

Zheng Zhi's Qingdao West Coast also has a reserve of many young players, but the approach is to use veterans to lead the new players, allowing them to grow step by step and gradually integrate into the league. Zheng Zhi places local players with rich CSL experience, such as Peng Xinli and Zhang Xiuwei, in starting positions. Young players mostly start from the bench and partial rotations, accumulating experience in cup matches and relatively easier league games.

Goalkeeper Li Hao is a representative of West Coast's young players. The goalkeeper position is special; once a starter, there is rarely a proactive change during the match. He is the young player with the most playing time at West Coast, making key saves in many matches, keeping the goal intact or conceding few in tough games. The 17-year-old Wang Gengrui has made 17 appearances this season, averaging 85 minutes per game; the 19-year-old Yang Zhanpeng has made 17 league appearances, scoring 2 goals. The 18-year-old Elinizar and 19-year-old Xie Chuyun are both key training targets for West Coast, and they will get more and more playing opportunities in the future.

Zheng Zhi's logic in using players is simple: prioritize league results. Young players need to perform better in training and matches to earn playing time. Under the guidance of experienced mature players, young players can gradually adapt to the CSL in a relatively low-pressure environment.

Tonight, the two teams will play their third match of the season. In their previous two encounters, the first league match ended in a 1-1 draw, while in the CFA Cup, Tongliang Dragons eliminated West Coast. Facing the promoted team without a win against them, West Coast naturally hopes to extend their four-match unbeaten streak, while Chongqing Tongliang Dragons also look to reverse their slump. Zheng Zhi and Liu Jianye, former national team teammates and now club rivals, will face off for the third time on the CSL coaching bench. Who will have the last laugh?