It's really hard to say for the country! Some Chinese Super League (CSL) teams traveled to other countries in triumph, but stronger CSL teams were overjoyed in China.The 2023-2024 AFC Champions League officially started with a win for the Chinese Super League (CSL) teams. As only three Chinese Super League teams made it to this year's AFC Champions League, Shandong Taishan appeared on the first matchday. As a result, they beat Philippine League champions Kaya FC 3-1 with a substitute lineup.
In a game where all four goals were generated in the second half, all the wide players scored. In the second half, Moises broke the deadlock in the 63rd minute before Pato extended the lead. Soon after, Kaya also equalized a goal relying on the outside backs. Cressan scored another goal in injury time to kill the game for good.
It's not easy for Shandong Taishan to take the Philippine League title on the road with just a substitute lineup. Why is it not easy to say? If you know what kind of team Kaya is, it's not surprising.
It turns out that a few years ago, this was the same Kaya FC that went to Shanghai to play the AFC Champions League qualifying match with Shanghai. As a result, he only advanced to the AFC Championship with a narrow one-goal win against Shanghai, who also played with a substitute lineup (pictured above), which created a shame in Shanghai's history - the first time they were knocked out of a qualifying match, by a Southeast Asian team. Who said it wasn't embarrassing?
It can be said that Shandong Taishan avenged Shanghai. Before the match, many people sweated for Shandong Taishan. This is a team that once eliminated Shanghai. Cui Kangxi even dared to play as a substitute. It seems that Kaya FC is not too strong, but Shanghai is too tasty or doesn't pay attention to the AFC Champions League at all.
A few years ago, I was eliminated once by a Southeast Asian team in the qualifying rounds. This year, Shanghai did the same thing and lost to another Southeast Asian team. I was knocked out twice in a row by Southeast Asian teams in the qualifying rounds, and Shanghai set a new "record" in the Chinese Super League. There is really no one. In fact, we can all see that it is not that Shanghai is not strong enough, but that the intention of drunkenness is not to drink!
Interestingly, on this very day of the AFC Champions League match, on the day Shandong Taishan avenged their loss, the Hong Kong players were busy showing off their cozy family photos (below).
Shanghai Port goalkeeper Yan Junling took to social media with a picture and the following post: "Warm big family #ShanghaiPort
". In the photo, the players, coaches and others from Shanghai Harbor may have taken a group photo on purpose when they were building a group together. In addition to Yan Junling, Oscar also posted this photo.
There's no match, and it's okay for the whole team to get together for a photo. But the Hong Kong players might forget that this is a sensitive day - if they pay attention to their opponents, today is the day they face Ulsan Hyundai in the AFC Champions League. Baton Rouge United, who eliminated Hong Kong from the competition, earned their first AFC Champions League loss today with a 1-3 loss to Ulsan Hyundai.
You are the strongest team in China and are about to become this year's Chinese Super League champions, but Shanghai has become the only team in the Chinese Super League Big4 to miss this season's AFC Champions League. This stark contrast is not only unfathomable, but also incomprehensible. While the Big3 are trying to fight for their country in the AFC Championship, none of this has anything to do with Shanghai. They are living in harmony in China and have completely forgotten about the AFC Championship.
