With the departure of Fellaini and Moises, Shandong Taishan welcomed Kazayishvili to strengthen the front line, however, the team's firepower in the penalty area is still limited. In particular, the team had to rely on visiting striker Jadson to take the lead on set-pieces. It should not be overlooked that Shandong Taishan showed a richer offense against Kawasaki Frontale, which is definitely a positive sign. Meanwhile, coach Choi Kang-hee will need to dig deep to effectively curb the Yokohama Mariners' attacking momentum, especially with the active performances of Elbe and Lopez.
It should not be overlooked that the intensive schedule poses a serious challenge to the physical fitness of the players. The Chinese Super League (CSL) will kick off on March 1, and Shandong Taishan's first match will be against Changchun Yatai on March 3, the third day after completing the first round of the CSL. On the third day after completing the first round of the Chinese Super League, the team will host Yokohama Marinos to open the first round of the competition. Immediately after the second round match against Beijing Guoan on March 9, Shandong Taishan had only two days to rest and recuperate, and then had to urgently fly to Japan for the crucial second round match. In 11 days, the team has to face the test of four matches, which is undoubtedly a great test of the players' physical fitness.
It is worth mentioning that the new season of the Chinese Super League schedule, the Football Association did make some painstaking efforts. The first five rounds of matches, Shandong Taishan will have three opportunities to play at home. Obviously, the Football Association has taken into account the possibility of the team may be promoted to the AFC Champions League eight, so in the scheduling of the space set aside to avoid the team frequently running between home and away from the predicament. We can't help but praise the FA for this meticulous arrangement.
