If the final is not decided within the 90 minutes of regulation time, it will go into extra time, divided into two halves of 15 minutes each. If the game is still tied at the end of extra time, the winner will be decided by penalty kicks.
Seaport moves full steam ahead toward championship
Compared to the fierce competition in the first half of the zone, the second half of Shanghai Harbor's zone consists mainly of veteran rivals Beijing Guoan and several promoted teams. Shanghai Seaport will meet Nanjing City in the first round of the China League One, and there seems to be no doubt that they will qualify, and in the second round, they will play the winner of Suzhou Dongwu or Wuhan Changjiang, which is also promising.
In the third round, Seaport is likely to meet one of Chengdu Rongcheng or Meizhou Hakka, and given the performances of these two teams this season, the road to promotion may not be smooth if coach Leko fails to integrate the current lineup.
Other teams in the bottom half include Beijing Guoan, Changchun Yatai, Dalian Ren and Zhejiang. The second round of the second half of the zone features two highly-anticipated Chinese Super League club clashes, with Chengdu Rongcheng taking on Hebei and Dalian Ren facing Zhejiang.
Due to the early loss of the chance to win the title in the league, the heavily invested Harbour team has put a lot of effort into the reinforcements in both the winter and summer windows this year, and the F.A.C.A. Cup Championship has become a goal that the team must achieve. For Leko, who is in a crisis of confidence, the F.A.C. Cup title is the key for him to stay in the team. If he can win the title, he may still have the possibility to continue coaching, otherwise, his dismissal is unavoidable.
During the Chinese Super League (CSL) off-season, news about the possible coaching of Seaport by former national soccer coach Li Tie circulated on social media. According to a surging news reporter, due to Lecco's poor performance with the team since the first phase of the league, it is difficult to find a suitable foreign coach in the middle of the season, and Seaport did have contact with Li Tie just in case.
Currently, Seaport has many international players, and Li Tie has just led the national football team to complete the Top 40 and Top 12 matches, so he knows the international players like the back of his hand. If Seaport decides to go with a local coach, Li Tie is undoubtedly the best choice.
However, considering the fact that Harbour has never had a mid-season managerial change, the final selection of the manager may have to wait until the end of the season. Consistent with the practice of changing the manager in the middle of the season, Harbour's previous managers have all been foreigners, and it will be a decision that the management must make as to whether or not to consider using a local coach.
"The Dark Horse Award is up for grabs.
Last season's AFC Cup "Dark Horse Award" winner Sichuan Jiuniu will face Guangzhou in the second round. As a "place where miracles happen", it is highly anticipated which lower league team will stand out from the fierce competition and win the "Dark Horse Award" this season.
Former Chinese men's soccer captain Zheng Zhi and Yanjing Brewery Deputy General Manager Shen Changliang attended the draw ceremony as guests of honor. Over the past 9 years of cooperation between CFF Cup and Yanjing Brewery, the two sides have jointly promoted the development of "Football for All", initiated the establishment of the "Dark Horse Award", and launched the "Seed Plan" public welfare activities, which have won wide acclaim from all walks of life. They have also initiated the establishment of the "Dark Horse Award" and the "Seed Program" public welfare activities, which have won wide acclaim from all walks of life.
Qiu Ziqian, a young footballer, was also present at the draw ceremony as a representative of the Seed Project's charity activities. His elementary school had received a soccer ball donated by Seed Project, and now the youngster has represented Beijing Huiwen Middle School in the first China Youth Football League Boys U13 National Finals. The seed of soccer has taken root, and as Shen Changliang said, the Seed Project provides a platform for young people who love soccer to grow.
Shen Changliang also told all the teams participating in the FA Cup, "Despite the impact of the epidemic, the passion of the sportsmen did not diminish and the matches remained intense, with each team demonstrating unity and the spirit of not giving up, bringing countless moments of excitement to the audience."
"I hope that in the next matches, our sportsmen and women will continue their efforts and fight wonderfully until the end."
