Shandong Taishan defeated Australian Premier League champions Central Coast Mariners 3-1 at home in the first round of the AFC Elite League East Asia. Bi Jinhao opened the scoring and although the opponents equalized, Kazaishvili then scored two goals in a row to help seal the win.
Shandong Taishan are facing heavy penalties and are hoping to do well in Asia to make a name for themselves.
Kobe Victory Ship has registered two Brazilian foreigners, Patrick and Tulle. It also boasts former international players from the former Japan men's national soccer team, such as Isao Osako, Kaji Muto, Firefly Yamaguchi, and Takade Sakai. Kobe Victory, which won its first J-League title in 2023, is temporarily second in the table this season.
In the first round of the AFC Elite League East Asia, Kobe Victory ship failed to get a good result with a 0-0 draw away to Thai Super League team Buriram United. If you want to get out of the group, you have to try to get three points at Namchaya Villa.
Both Chinese Super League (CSL) teams suffered 0-3 losses away from home in the second round of the AFC Elite League East Asia last night. Super League champions Shanghai Seaport were defeated by traditional South Korean powerhouse Pohang Steelers, while Shanghai Shenhua lost to Malaysian Super League champions Johor Bahru, who have a number of foreign and naturalized players.
Can Shandong Taishan make it two wins in a row when they travel to rival Kobe Victory Ship?
