Shandong Taishan's recent schedule has been a roller coaster of ups and downs. First, they suffered a 0-2 loss to Langfang, followed by a 1-2 defeat against Shaanxi, two consecutive losses that demoralized the team. Head coach Han Peng is under heavy pressure to calmly analyze the lessons learned and try to reverse the trend in the next game. Han Rongze's departure from the team opened the door for Liu Shibo, however, the latter did not capitalize on the opportunity and conceded five goals in two games. Fortunately, Wang Dalei returned in time to play for Beijing Guoan, but Cui Kangxi still has doubts about the stability of the goalkeeper position. Han Rongze's departure has left the team with only three goalkeepers, and Sun Qihang's recall has become the team's new hope.
Currently, the team has four players on the goalie line, namely Wang Dalei, Liu Shibo, Yu Jinyong and Sun Qihang. Despite the number of players, the power gap between the starters and the replacements is still obvious. Wang Dalei's frequent injuries, Liu Shibo's urgent need to improve, coupled with Wang Dalei's aging, have made the team face challenges in the goalkeeper position. Although Wang Dalei has renewed his contract with the team, his experience has become the team's responsibility. Facing a tough battle against Beijing Guoan, the team is in urgent need of adjustment, despite the shattered dream of the championship, and the consecutive unwinnable record in the Chinese Super League.
The team's morale has dropped to freezing point and change is imminent. Choi Kang-hee, the one-year old head coach of Shandong Taishan, seems to have said goodbye to the honeymoon period. Injuries and mistakes in reinforcements have robbed him of his previous aura, and there have been many calls for his dismissal. He must give an account to the fans and activate key players such as Fernando in the attacking line. Although Fernando has arrived in Beijing with the team, his absence from the acclimatization training is a cause for concern.
Cui Kangxi said that his body has not yet fully recovered, whether he can participate in the game on the 30th is still in doubt. This makes people wonder if this means that Cui Kangxi is creating distractions for Beijing Guoan.
