Maritu, Henrique Fire Yunnan Yukun Past Tianjin Teda as Underdogs Flip the Super League Script
Under the thinning clouds of the Yuxi Plateau, where the air is thin and mistakes loom larger, Yunnan Yukun produced a performance thick with purpose and precision, dispatching sixth-place Tianjin Teda 2-0 and upending expectations for China’s Super League mid-table race.
For a team that had not tasted victory in over a month, that had labored through a string of draws and heavy defeats, this was not just a result; it was a statement. Yunnan Yukun entered the match in tenth, staring up the table at a Tianjin side boasting three straight wins and a reputation for defensive resilience. Yet by the final whistle, the locals were celebrating a rare clean sheet and their most significant scalp of the autumn.
The match’s pivotal moment arrived in the 36th minute, as Oscar Taty Maritu—whose name has become a rare constant on Yukun’s score sheet—shouldered the responsibility from twelve yards. The penalty, coolly dispatched, breathed life into a side more familiar with late equalizers than first-half leads. Maritu’s calm approach and clinical finish marked his third goal in five matches, bringing a stubborn Tianjin back line down to earth and forcing them into a posture they seldom assume: chasing the game.
But if the first half belonged to Maritu’s nerve, the second asked a different question of both sides. Could Yukun, so often punished for lapses, hold firm against a Tianjin attack that had averaged nearly two goals a game over their last five outings? Today, the answer was an emphatic yes.
Yunnan Yukun’s defense, battered in recent weeks by Shanghai SIPG and Chengdu Better City, held the visitors at arm’s length. Ole Christian Saeter, deployed deeper than usual, anchored the midfield with notable discipline, snuffing out half-chances before they could blossom. For Tianjin’s danger men—Qiuming Wang, Albion Ademi, and the in-form Alberto Quiles—time and space were in short supply.
The contest’s tension ratcheted higher as the minutes ticked by, punctuated by a handful of anxious clearances and a cluster of cautions but, notably, no sending-offs. Tianjin pressed, as they had been forced to do so rarely during their recent purple patch, but time and again the final ball evaporated in the Yuxi altitude.
Then, in the 84th minute, came the night’s defining exhalation. Yukun’s Pedro Henrique, a peripheral figure for much of the campaign, found himself in the right place at the right time. Latching onto a spilled cross following a rare foray forward, Henrique swept home from close range, doubling the lead and settling nerves frayed by several near misses. His first Super League goal, delivered with a poacher’s instinct, was met with a cacophony from the home faithful, who could sense an overdue three points at last within reach.
For Yunnan Yukun, this win was cathartic, snapping a five-match winless run that had threatened to consign their debut top-flight campaign to the footnotes. Their mixture of industry and incision on this day hinted at what might have been had such composure surfaced earlier in the season. With 32 points from 26 matches (8 wins, 8 draws, 10 losses), they remain mired in the bottom half but have injected a note of possibility into their closing run.
Tianjin Teda, meanwhile, will rue a missed opportunity to solidify their hold on a coveted top-six berth. Arriving with momentum and greater pedigree, they depart with questions—chief among them, how did a side that so recently swept Wuhan Three Towns aside with panache look so disjointed in attack? Their tally of 43 points (12 wins, 7 draws, 7 losses) still keeps them in the postseason conversation, but with rivals tightening the chase, setbacks like this loom large.
The history between these two sides is brief but not without drama. Reflecting on their last three meetings, Tianjin had the upper hand, but the balance today tipped with authority. This result gives Yunnan Yukun not just three points, but a measure of belief that the plateau can indeed be a fortress.
Looking ahead, Yukun faces the daunting prospect of turning a single stirring performance into a trend. Survival in the Super League rewards consistency, not just catharsis. For Tianjin, a recalibration is in order—the race for playoff positioning has tightened, and stumbles at this stage invite peril.
As dusk settled over Yuxi, the significance was clear: Yunnan Yukun, for a day, were architects of their own narrative. The climb remains steep, but belief is a potent thing—especially in the shadow of the plateau.