Entering June, Chinese Super League veteran Shandong Taishan's upward momentum is very fierce, showing the face of a championship team again.
Since South Korean coach Choi Kang-hee took over, Taishan has achieved 4 wins and 2 draws in the Chinese Super League. In addition, Taishan achieved an undefeated record for 7 rounds after beating Dongguan Guanlian 6-1 in the AFC Cup.
The next round of the Chinese Super League will be crucial for Taishan as they host league leaders Shanghai Seaport. It is a game worth 6 points for both Taishan and Seaport. Whoever wins will take the lead on their way to winning the title this season.
Harbor team is also in quite a good form recently, with three consecutive wins in the league and AFC Cup matches. Especially in this league round, they beat Beijing Guoan 2-1 on the road, who is also a veteran team in the Chinese Super League. However, the Harbors were very lucky to win this match. If Guoan's first goal hadn't been ruled offside, they might not have been able to get away with their work.
But anyway, Seaport's recent momentum is still quite good, and compared to Shandong Taishan, they still have an advantage in terms of foreign aid. Currently, the four foreigners of Seaport, Oscar, Paulinho, Vargas and Pinko, are all in good shape. Together with the popular international striker Wu Lei, Seaport's attacking power is at the top level of the Chinese Super League.
On the other hand, at Taishan, Son Junho was arrested, Jadson was suspended, and the team's fifth foreigner was never confirmed. Therefore, Choi Kang-hee only has three foreigners available at the moment. In the battle against Seaport, Tarzan 3 foreigners vs Seaport 4 foreigners will come into play.
But even so, Choi Kang-hee is confident that he can lead Taishan to beat Seaport at home and make it three wins in a row in both the league and the F.A.C. Cup. Beating Seaport is not just about getting 3 points for Taishan, it is also about boosting the team's morale and re-entering the ranks of the Super League champions.
It can be said that the home game with the harbor team will become a real litmus test to verify the coaching ability of Choi Kang-hee. Since the Korean coach took office, except for Wuhan Sanzhen, Taishan's opponents do not have a team with too strong overall strength. Shanghai Seaport is undoubtedly the strongest and most in-form team in the Chinese Super League at the moment.
Choi Kang-hee can also make a name for himself if he can beat Port at home. He is still the best manager in the Chinese Super League at the moment. When he was dismissed at Dalian Ren and Shanghai Shenhua, it wasn't because of lack of ability, but because the teams were poor and couldn't adapt to his advanced soccer philosophy.
Tactically, Choi Kang-hee will need to be extra cautious against Seaport. Seaport is very good at capturing counter-attacks. When the opponent makes a mistake, they utilize the advantages of the front outfielders and Wu Lei in terms of speed and breakthrough ability to deliver a fatal blow to the opponent's gate.
Therefore, in this match, I believe Choi Kang-hee will continue to use the double back combination of Huang Zhengyu and Liao Lisheng and cut off his connection with the striker while keeping a close eye on Oscar. At the same time, he will utilize the skill of Cressan and the header advantage of Fellaini to threaten the gate of Hong Kong, and try to make a first strike at home and finally get 3 points.
This focal battle between Taishan vs Harbour has attracted the attention of many fans and media, and the game will be broadcast live on CCTV5+, the CCTV sports channel. By then, fans from all over the country can watch the game in front of their TV sets and witness who will laugh at the end of Taishan and Seaport...
