West Coast Target Best Record in Qingdao Football History as Wuhan Three Towns Push with Five Foreign Players for Three Points

Quality Article Incentive Program At 7:00 p.m. on September 5, 2026, Wuhan Sports Center will host the Chinese Super League's 26th round match, with Qingdao West Coast visiting Wuhan Three Towns. The result of this match will decide two things at the same time: whether fellow city club Qingdao Hainiu can continue its remaining relegation hopes. After 25 rounds, Qingdao West Coast have 8 wins, 13 draws and 4 losses, scoring 29 goals and conceding 30, with 37 points. They are level on points with Beijing Guoan and Dalian Yingbo, ranking joint third. Shandong Taishan follow with 36 points. Their opponents Wuhan Three Towns have 5 wins, 9 draws and 9 losses in 23 matches, scoring 35 goals and conceding 39, with 19 points, ranking 15th, second from bottom.

However, Three Towns have played two fewer matches. Together with Tianjin Jinmen Tiger, who have played one fewer match, they have 19 points, and their relegation fate remains in their own hands. What about Qingdao Hainiu? They have 6 wins, 3 draws and 16 losses in 25 matches, scoring 33 goals and conceding 51, with 14 points, at the bottom of the table. Only five league rounds remain. Their eight-match losing streak has set a new club record for consecutive defeats. In 28 years of Qingdao football, the highest ranking in the top division was sixth place. In 1998, coach Li Yingfa led Qingdao Yizhong Hainiu to that position. In 2011, South Korean coach Chang Woe-ryong guided Qingdao Jonoon to sixth place again. Since then, Qingdao teams have never reached that position. West Coast now sit third with 37 points and seven league rounds remaining. If they maintain their current pace of collecting points, surpassing sixth place is possible.

Why have West Coast reached their current position? The 22-year-old goalkeeper Li Hao is a key figure. He has gone 374 consecutive minutes without conceding. In the 24th CSL round, West Coast defeated Shandong Taishan 2-0 at home, and Li Hao recorded his fifth consecutive clean sheet. Across five matches, West Coast not only remained unbeaten but also did not concede a single goal. This season he has played 22 matches and completed 7 clean sheets. Another notable statistic is that West Coast have 5 wins and 8 draws at home this season without a defeat. They are the only team in the CSL with such a record. Under Zheng Zhi, the team have gone unbeaten in 13 home league matches and climbed from the relegation zone to third place. University Town Stadium has become one of the most difficult away venues in the CSL.

Returning to this match, West Coast and Three Towns have met five times in history, with West Coast recording 2 wins, 2 draws and 1 loss. In March 2025, West Coast defeated Three Towns 2-0 at home. In November 2024, they also won 3-1 away. Their latest meeting was on May 10 this year, ending in a 1-1 draw at West Coast's home ground. Based on past results, West Coast are not afraid of Three Towns. But Three Towns are different. In the previous round, they defeated Qingdao Hainiu 5-1 away. With five foreign players involved, the all-Chinese defensive line faced major pressure. This big win gave Three Towns relief, and their relegation fate remains in their own hands. After hosting West Coast on September 5, they will play a postponed match against Henan on September 12 and another postponed match against Zhejiang on September 18. These three games will largely determine whether Three Towns can stay in the CSL.

For West Coast, head coach Zheng Zhi said after leading the team to a 1-1 away draw against Tianjin Jinmen Tiger in the previous round that both teams played a very intense match under good pitch and weather conditions, and he hoped the team could maintain this rhythm. Regarding the season goal, Zheng Zhi previously said that from the beginning until now, the target has been survival, first securing enough points for safety, and dealing with Asian competition matters later. However, the club's management clearly have bigger ambitions. A senior club official recently stated that the team will fight to challenge Qingdao football's best historical record in the upcoming matches and will not deliberately slow down to avoid playing in the AFC Champions League. This statement is important. There is an informal view in the CSL that some teams with AFC Champions League qualification are reluctant to participate because of the heavy workload of competing on two fronts and prefer to focus on domestic league play. West Coast's management have made their position clear: they will not slow down and will keep pushing forward.

This statement also temporarily eased concerns for local rivals Hainiu. At least West Coast will not deliberately give points to Three Towns. However, Hainiu's fate is no longer in their own hands. They have 14 points, an eight-match losing streak and only five rounds remaining. To avoid relegation, they would need to win all remaining matches and hope their rivals drop many points. Realistically, the possibility of a miracle is very small. In the September 5 match, West Coast entered Wuhan Sports Center with two identities. One is a relegation judge: a win or draw would allow Hainiu's hopes to survive a little longer; a loss would almost mean Hainiu's early exit from the CSL. The other is a history challenger: with 37 points and seven matches remaining, they can surpass sixth place and create a new height for Qingdao football in 28 years.

The 22-year-old Li Hao stands in front of the goal. Ahead of him is a 374-minute unbeaten clean-sheet record. Behind him is the historical ceiling of Qingdao football that has stood for 28 years. Opposite him are Wuhan Three Towns, pushing forward with five foreign players and fighting desperately for three points. After the whistle, everything will be decided on the pitch.

(The source and specific wording of this article have been retained from the original sports news content.)