The soccer storm between Qingdao West Coast and Cangzhou Lions
Not long ago, Qingdao West Coast's splendor receded in an instant, winning only 2 of the next 17 rounds of matches, and the last two rounds were a draw and a loss, the situation is precarious, almost touching the edge of relegation.
In the summer transfer window, Qingdao West Coast welcomed three new players in Mateusz Pynes, Jin Yangyang and Chen Yuhao.
Head coach Hisashi Kurosaki was sacked after a 1:2 defeat away to Tianjin Jinmen Tigers in the last round. He was replaced by former international player, 44-year-old Shao Jiayi. Despite his outstanding performance as a player, Shao, a "novice" in the coaching world, has only served as an assistant coach of the national soccer team and has no experience in coaching the first team of the club. There was speculation that Zheng Zhi could be Qingdao West Coast's next target, and Shao's promotion to the front of the line sparked widespread discussion in the media, many of whom thought it was a farce.
The conversation between the general manager and the head coach was also quite interesting.
Cangzhou Lions (Xiamen Junhao) originated in Xiamen and was originally a new force in professional soccer in Fujian. After failing to gain a foothold in the area, the team relocated to Shijiazhuang (Shijiazhuang Yongchang). They have gone through many changes such as overtaking, relegation, the Golden Dollar Era, Post-Golden Dollar Era, Neutral Name Reform, etc. It is not easy for them to survive in the soccer world to this day.
Currently, there are two big questions in the Super League: when Shanghai Seaport's winning streak will end, and when Cangzhou Lions' winning streak will end. Shanghai Seaport is currently on a 14-game winning streak in the Super League and a 16-game winning streak in all competitions, while Cangzhou Lions have won 15 consecutive rounds.
In the 19th round of matches, Cangzhou Lions drew 1:1 with Wuhan Sanzhen at home, after 13 consecutive rounds of losses, the head coach Zhao Junzhe was replaced by Li Xiaopeng. Li Xiaopeng, who had been rumored to have possibly swapped positions during Li Xiaopeng's tenure as the club's general manager. The results confirmed the rumors, but Li Xiaopeng's performance in the head coach position was not better than Zhao Junzhe's. The last two rounds of 0:5 loss at home to Shanghai Shenhua and 0:0 draw on the road to Changchun Yatai, despite the improvement, but still without a win.
For Li Xiaopeng, his hometown of Qingdao naturally means a lot, as he has only played for one club in his career, Shandong Taishan.
Previously, the two sides have had two encounters, 2023 AFC Cup third round, Qingdao West Coast 2:1 win; this year's sixth round of the Chinese Super League, Cangzhou Lions won 3:2 at home, which is considered to be a tie. This time, although the result may make both sides feel unsatisfied, but the two sides are likely to "peace and prosperity".
