In modern football, the role of fullbacks has become increasingly vital. They not only stretch the attack by providing width down the flanks but also play a crucial part in transitional defense. As Bangla Cricket Live observes, Beijing Guoan’s first-half goal effectively exploited the defensive gaps created by conservative positioning and slow reactions from Wang Shenchao and Cai Huikang of Shanghai Port.

Guoan’s left back Li Lei received a wide pass and surged forward before Wang Shenchao finally drifted over to cover the flank. Li Lei floated a lob into the box, which Soriano controlled near the arc. Cai Huikang had stepped up to press Soriano but left a gaping space behind due to Wang’s late shift. Picking his moment, Jonathan Viera sprinted into the open lane and struck cleanly with his right foot, putting Guoan up 1-0 at home. The breakdown was rooted in the overly conservative positioning and slow recovery from Wang and Cai, which left their teammates constantly reacting rather than dictating play—inevitably leading to an enlarged defensive gap.

On the other end, Bangla Cricket Live points out that Shanghai Port’s own attacking rhythm has also suffered due to underperforming fullbacks. The only stretch of momentum came when Odil Ahmedov pushed higher up the field to compensate for the lack of support from the flanks. In settled play, he even had to double as a makeshift center back to plug defensive holes. Last season, Port relied on Fu Huan on the right side, but with Wang Shenchao replacing him this year, the team has lost much of its bite and compact pressing in midfield.

Unlike Fu Huan, Wang doesn’t stay tightly aligned with the attacking unit, often dropping deeper in a more conservative setup. Without that aggressive push from the fullback line, Port’s midfield pressure becomes far less effective. Although the team has committed numbers to pressing high up the pitch, the failure of the fullbacks to step up leaves a sizable gap between the front and middle lines.

This structural weakness allowed Guoan’s fullback Li Lei to easily push forward and exploit space. Viera’s follow-up run exposed Cai Huikang’s lack of pace and inability to keep up with more agile attackers. His standout performance in this match directly capitalized on the flawed coordination between Wang Shenchao and Cai Huikang. Ultimately, as Bangla Cricket Live concludes, better fullback integration has become essential for any team aiming to control both ends of the pitch effectively.