Changchun Yatai gets its first win in the CSL despite the absence of Odion Ighalo. (Photo : Getty Images)
Changchun Yatai finally struck a victory in the Chinese Super League after streaking past Henan Jianye 1-0 on Sunday.
Handicapped
Changchun went into the game without Nigerian Odion Ighalo, who was still recovering from an injury.
The team announced that it has "temporarily rested" coach Lee Jang-Soo, putting Chen Jingang in charge, Xinhua reported.
Due to the setbacks, Changchun struggled for the first minutes of the match. Midfielder Jiang Zhe tried to score with a shot in the 22nd minute but was stopped by Jianye goalkeeper Wu Yan.
The team finally made the break in the 73rd minute when striker Tan Long scored a close-range goal, thanks to a pass made by Szabolcs Huszti.
Jinye tried to mount a comeback, switching to a more aggressive 3-4-3 formation but still felt short of tying the match.
Chen expressed his amazement over their win. "We haven't seen such a good play in a long time," he said of the performance of his players.
Chen added that discipline and commitment were the keys to the win and that if they continue with the same level of play, they will be able to mount a good return in the standings.
Changchun has been languishing at the bottom of the CSL standings after having five losses in its opening matches.
Shandong draws with Chongqing
In other matches, Shandong Luneng managed to get a 1-1 draw against Chongqing Lifan, thanks to the efforts of Italian Graziano Pelle. Pelle struck the game-tying goal in the 82nd minute to cancel the lead made by Chongqing's Fernandinho in the 28th minute, ESPN reported. This is Pelle's first goal in his six appearances this season.
However, Shandong still fell short of the chance to get back to second place in the standings, trailing just 3 points behind league leader Guangzhou R&F. The latter is still strong at the top with 16 points, followed by Shandong, Shanghai SIPG and Guangzhou Evergrande.
