Beijing time on May 28, Qingdao Manatee and Shandong Taishan "Qilu derby" in the 2023 season of the Chinese Super League in the 10th round of the focus of the battle back to the Chinese Super League. In the end, Taishan beat Hainiu 1-0 with Liu Binbin's goal away from home. Taishan continued its previous victory against Hainiu in the last game of the Chinese Super League. In addition, head coach Choi Kang-hee's arrival at Taishan has improved the team's spirit.
After 9 years, Taishan Manatee plays Qilu derby again
A week before the match, the original and most authentic "Qilu Derby" was brought to a climax both online and in Shandong Province. After all, this is the first time in nine seasons that Hainiu and Taishan have played the "Qilu Derby" in the Chinese Super League. In the history of Chinese professional soccer, Taishan and Hainiu were the first two professional teams to appear in Shandong Province. In 1994, Taishan was one of the founding teams of the AA League, and has been in the top flight since then, never having been relegated. 1994, Manatee finished second in the 1994 First Division, despite having already been promoted to the second place in the First Division.
Until the 2013 Chinese Super League (CSL), when the Sea Bulls, then known as Qingdao Jonoon, were relegated to the first division, this was the last time the CSL had the most historically fascinating "Qilu Derby" in this season's CSL. Although Qingdao Yellow Sea has since been promoted to the Chinese Super League and played against Shandong Taishan, Hainiu is not comparable to Taishan's "Qilu Derby" in terms of details and topics.
Prior to that, Taishan extended their winning streak in the Qilu derby.
In the two rounds of confrontation between the two sides in the 2013 Chinese Super League (CSL) season, Taishan first defeated Hainiu 3-0 at home. Zheng Long received a red card in the second half of that game before winning again in the second round, 2-1, on the road. In this match, Taishan set foot on the Qingdao pitch to play in the Chinese Super League again after nine seasons. Before the end of the first half, Huang Zhengyu picked up a pass and assisted Liu Binbin to score the winning goal and finally get 3 points from Qingdao away again after 9 years.
Taishan has dominated the all-time rivalry with the Manatees. In addition to the double-killing in the 2013 season, the 2012 season held a win and a draw against Manatee. It was only in the 2011 season that the then Manatees completed a double kill against Taishan at home and on the road. In both of those games, Song Wenjie, who came on as a substitute in this game, scored. In this battle, Taishan's victory continued the previous "Qilu Derby" victory with Manatee. In the last four matches between the two sides, Taishan has won all of them.
The spirit of Tarzan changed dramatically under Choi Kang-hee's rule.
The match was South Korean coach Choi Kang-hee's third game in charge of Taishan. Except for the first away game where they failed to draw with Tianjin Jinmen Tigers who are in great form this season, Taishan scored 6 points in the next two games. It can be said that we found a new key to victory. In fact, Taishan played well in the first away match against Tianjin Jinmen Tigers, especially when they were down by two goals in only 11 minutes in the opening match, and then equalized with three goals in the first half. If it wasn't for Jadson's second-half oopsie, Taishan almost got back their first three points of the season away from home.
In the game, the "Qilu Derby" with Qingdao Hainiu, Taishan not only beat the former rival, but also won the team's first away victory this season. With Choi Kang-hee at the helm, Taishan not only improved their record, but also greatly improved the team's mental outlook. In this game, both offensive and defensive players did their best. For example, Wang Tong and Ji Xiang's wing backs had fire in both eyes during the game, full of passion and fighting spirit.
