Written by/Zuo Rui Before the Chinese Super League’s brief break, Yunnan Yukun experienced a downturn. The league restarted on September 12, and Yukun’s opponent was Shanghai Port, who are in a critical title contention stage and have scored the most goals this season. Playing away made the challenge even tougher.

The short interval in September allowed Yukun to recover and catch their breath. In the just-passed August, Yunnan Yukun played six matches across two competitions, suffering three heavy defeats: a 1-5 loss away to Haigang in the league, a 0-7 defeat away to Guoan in the cup, and a 1-5 home loss to Rongcheng in the league. It was only by the end of August, with a last-minute 1-1 draw against Yatai at home, that Yukun managed to halt their downward spiral.

The tight schedule, consecutive heavy losses, along with ongoing injuries and suspensions, severely damaged the players’ confidence and form. Therefore, during the break, this physically and mentally exhausted team was given five days off, returning to training with a week left before heading to Shanghai.

This time, head coach Anderson has a slightly better squad than before. On the afternoon of the 5th, training saw several returning players, most notably the recovered midfield playmaker Jonica and key center-back Yiteng. With the Romanian number 10 on the field, Yukun’s attack will be more organized and unpredictable; Yiteng’s return reduces the impact of another Romanian player, Burca’s absence. If all goes well, Burca will finish his national team duties in the World Cup European qualifiers and end his CSL suspension, making a comeback in Round 25 at home against Dalian Professional.

Due to recent poor results, rumors of a coaching change at Yukun have been rampant. While Anderson focuses on training and opponent analysis, Korean coach Seo Jung-won and Romanian counterpart Sumudica are rumored to be “competing for the position.” However, the club currently has no plans to replace Anderson. The 30 points earned under his leadership and the 8th place standing have basically secured Yukun’s survival target, and this achievement should not be erased by a few heavy defeats.

At present, Yunnan Yukun’s team morale is stable and the squad relatively complete. However, judging from their first encounter, it remains very difficult for Yukun to secure points away. The two teams met once this season in Yuxi, where Yukun lost 2-3. Both the team and fans clearly recognize the gap in strength, and this gap is unlikely to be overturned four months later, even if Shanghai Port may rest players for the AFC Champions League.

So far this season, Yukun has played 12 home matches, with only Guoan, Rongcheng, and Shanghai Port taking full points at their high-altitude home. Compared to other strong teams’ aggressive performances, Shanghai Port’s display in Yuxi was somewhat complacent — the 9th round marked young player Kuai Jiwen’s CSL debut, but the efficiency and shooting quality of several Port foreign players gave newly promoted Yukun a tough lesson. In other words, Shanghai Port still has enough strength at home to rotate players while maintaining strong competitiveness. Yunnan Yukun, who conceded the most goals in August (23), must focus on solid defense and effective counterattacks to have a chance at gaining points against Shanghai Port.

For the remaining seven rounds, the coaching staff and players share a unified stance. In Anderson’s words, although the team’s first CSL season is nearing its end, they still want to “fight hard in every match,” aiming for more league points and wins. The club demands the team to firmly demonstrate their professional attitude — to give their all in the final seven games, strive for the best possible ranking, and not disappoint the support and love from Yunnan fans.