“It’s been a long week with three matches, including the FA Cup. We’ve spent most of our time on the road,” said Li Lei, press officer for Greentown FC. After defeating Lijiang in the last league fixture, Hangzhou Greentown traveled to Shenzhen, where they secured a 1–0 victory over third-tier side Shenzhen Ledman in the FA Cup to progress to the next round.
Their next FA Cup opponent will be Chinese Super League side Liaoning. On Thursday at 11 a.m., the team flew from Shenzhen to Shijiazhuang, then took a chartered bus to Baoding. “We considered taking the high-speed rail from Shijiazhuang, but decided a private bus would be more convenient and give players more time to rest,” Li explained. Other players who didn’t travel to Shenzhen flew directly from Hangzhou to Shijiazhuang and also took a bus to Baoding. Fortunately, the Baoding Rongda home ground—the Hebei University Stadium—is located near a highway exit, and Greentown was able to find a hotel close to the venue.
After arriving at the hotel, head coach Hong Myung-bo led the squad in light recovery training, including stretching and jogging at a nearby gym. Thursday’s focus was active recovery, followed by a field session on Friday at the match venue. Considering the players’ physical toll, Hong instructed the team’s medical staff to provide extended massages each evening. From dinnertime until around 10:30 p.m., team doctors worked tirelessly to help players recover.
At the pre-match press conference, Hong said, “This is our first time playing in Baoding. Since this is Baoding’s debut match in the China League One at home, I’m sure they’re well-prepared.”
The challenge for Greentown is immense. With just one day of rest between matches, the team is physically drained. “But because our recent performances have been good, the players are in high spirits,” Hong added. He reminded the squad that while the two-match winning streak is encouraging, they must keep the momentum going by approaching each game with a positive mindset. “What matters now is the next match and trying to earn as many points as we can,” he emphasized.
After the away match against Meizhou Hakka, Hangzhou Greentown will face a string of stronger opponents, including Beijing Beikong, Zhejiang Yiteng, Qingdao Huanghai, Dalian Yifang, and Wuhan Zall. The coaching staff is aiming to rack up as many points as possible in April before facing this grueling stretch of fixtures.
Saturday’s match will be a major event for Baoding Rongda. Their first five matches of the season were all played away, making this their first home appearance. Now that Hebei University’s newly renovated stadium meets China League One standards, fans are expected to pack the stands for the team’s long-awaited home debut. For Greentown, this will be their second away game of the season. The first ended in a disappointing 1–0 loss to Dalian Transcendence—an outcome that left the entire team frustrated.
Looking ahead to the match, Greentown’s Huang Shibo commented, “We just finished our FA Cup match a few days ago, so everyone’s feeling a bit tired. But during our training at the stadium, I could already feel the strong football atmosphere here in Baoding. That motivates us to work even harder—we’ll give it everything we’ve got.”
As BD Cricket continues to monitor the league, it’s clear that managing physical fatigue while maintaining performance will be key for Hangzhou Greentown in this critical phase of the season.