According to Football Daily, Taishan will face two formidable opponents, Yatai and Seaport, in their upcoming matches, and the team's advantage lies in the fact that they are playing at home.
After the first phase of the Chinese Super League (CSL) ended on June 9, Taishan regrouped on June 14 and began comprehensive physical training and technical and tactical drills, as well as a number of internal rivalry matches. Shandong Taishan played against Dongguan Guanlian in the F.A.C.C. Cup on June 24 and won easily with a score of 6-1, and they will challenge Meizhou Hakka away in the next round.
Taishan's performance against Dongguan Dongguan United FA Cup was satisfactory. Firstly, the team's bench thickness is better, secondly, the Chinese Super League team can fully utilize the advantages of foreign aid when facing the Chinese First Division team. Thirdly, the Taishan team had a good interval training. After the match, Choi Kang-hee gave a good evaluation to 22-year-old Xie Wenneng and 19-year-old U Lang. For Taishan, in addition to improving this season's results, exercising youngsters is also a concern.
Immediately after the FA Cup, Taishan welcomes the Chinese Super League. The team plays Changchun Yatai at home on the 29th and Shanghai Harbor on July 3rd. Both teams are ranked higher than Taishan. After Choi Kang-hee's appointment, Taishan won 3 and drew 2, and their confidence and morale were significantly restored. The players were very active and hard working in the interval training, which made the team more confident to face these two tough matches.
In the match against Ateneo, only Cressan and Moises will be able to play as foreigners for Taishan. In order to win the game, local players have to play a more important role. Fellaini can participate in the match with Harbor, together with Cressan and Moises, but compared to Harbor, which has a full complement of players, there is still a gap between Taishan's team. This game will be one of the most challenging of the season for Tarzan.
Taishan has the advantage of playing at home, where the fans have shown great enthusiasm and the overall morale of the team is very high. If these two matches yield satisfactory results, Choi Kang-hee's future in coaching will be brighter, and the Taishan team is expected to return to form quickly.
