"We need to return to Jinan as soon as possible to prepare for the war." Taishan beat Shenzhen 2-1, coach Choi Kangxi said after the game.
Against Shenzhen, the victory was indeed thrilling – without Brazilian goalscorer Cressan's brilliant goal, it would be difficult for Taishan to embark on the journey home with three points. Despite the eventual victory, the Tarzans still need to learn enough lessons from this game and adjust in time. Next, the Taishan team is about to face a multi-front battle, and if it cannot guarantee a consistent and consistent good form, it will be difficult to cope with this serious challenge.
For the Taishan team, the immediate test is the FA Cup quarter-final on the evening of August 31. That night, the Taishan team will be a guest worker and Beijing Guoan will stage the third season of this year's "Jinglu War". Just a month ago, Taishan had cleanly knocked Beijing Guoan down 3-0 at their home turf. But after that game, Beijing Guoan gradually regained its form. In the five rounds of the Chinese Super League played in August, Beijing Guoan won 4 and drew 1, remaining unbeaten. It is foreseeable that in this single-game FA Cup 1/4 final, the Taishan team will face a more combative and competitive Beijing Guoan. The good news is that Fellaini, who missed the match against Shenzhen, will unsurprisingly appear in this decisive match. As the anchor of the current Tarzan team, Fellaini will do his best to help the team advance to the next round.
After this FA Cup version of the "Jinglu War", the Taishan team will usher in a short "holiday". The international players in the team will participate in the national football training camp. It is reported that the national football training list will be announced next week, and the teams will assemble on September 3. After the interval, the Taishan team will face the severe test of the Chinese Super League and the Asian Champions League. On September 15, Taishan will host Qingdao Manatee in the 25th round of the Chinese Super League. On September 19, Taishan will play the first group stage match of the AFC Champions League against Kaya in Manila, the capital of the Philippines. On September 23, Taishan will play away to Dalian in the 26th round of the Chinese Super League. On September 29, in the 27th round of the Chinese Super League, Taishan will play at home against Wuhan Three Towns. If Taishan eliminated Beijing Guoan in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup, the team would have played in the semifinals of the FA Cup between the 26th and 27th rounds of the Chinese Super League. From the perspective of the schedule, when the Taishan team played the first three games of the AFC Champions League group stage, they had to overcome objective difficulties such as intensive schedules and hard work. On the one hand, this requires Choi Kang-hee and the coaching team to carefully and properly rotate in the formation, on the other hand, the Taishan's players also need to prepare in advance in terms of physical and psychological state.
Shanghai Port, who previously led the Chinese Super League standings, has been in turbulent form recently, first knocking out in the AFC Champions League play-offs and losing away to Henan in the Chinese Super League. In the past 4 rounds, Shanghai Port drew 1 and lost 3, and it was difficult to win a victory. In the standings, Shanghai Port's lead has also been eroded, and it is now nine points ahead of second-placed Taishan. It can be seen that once there is a slack of thinking in the course of the season, it is almost impossible to "tighten the strings" again in a short period of time.
There is a long road ahead, and Choi and his team need to be prepared to face the challenge.
Reporter: Yao Zheng Editor: Yao Zheng Proofreader: Liu Tian