In the second round of the AFC Champions League 1/8 final, Shandong Taishan defeated Kawasaki Frontale 4-2 in the second half and eliminated the opponent with a total score of 6-5 in a thrilling battle, making the third time among the eight finalists of the AFC Champions League, which is the same as the team's best-ever record.
In this campaign, Taishan managed to advance two foreign superstars, Cressan and Jadson, while 30-year-old local midfielder Lee Won-yi also had a good performance. In this game, Lee Won-yi was once again trusted by Choi Kang-hee. Just 8 minutes into the game, Lee made a precise steal in front of the field, then brought the ball into the Kawasaki Striker's penalty area and broke the deadlock for Klaxon by easily tearing open the opponent's defense.
As the game progressed, Lee Won-yi's performance shone brighter and brighter. In the extra time, he shot decisively from the top of the penalty area with amazing power. Had it not been for the heroic save of former South Korean national goalkeeper Jung Sung-ryong at the end of the extra time, Lee might have written a legend for Taishan four minutes earlier. It was Jung Sung-ryong's heroic save that solved the crisis of Taishan's early victory.
In the authoritative media SofaScore's post-game rating, Li Yuanyi was awarded 7.6 points, second only to Cressan and Jadson. Numerous netizens have praised Li Yuanyi: "China Modric", "currently China's strongest midfielder", "Why can't such a level be selected for the Asian Cup?"
Up to now, Li Yuanyi has played 36 matches for Taishan, making 29 starts and contributing 3 goals and 7 assists, which is an impressive midfield performance. Unfortunately, he failed to make the national team.
In the previous selection for the Asian Cup, Li Yuan, who had a high reputation, was not called up by the national team. The weakness of the national soccer team's midfield strength is also a key factor in the group stage loss. Imagine, if the kind of Kovic can summon Li Yuan Yi, his tireless running may be able to help the Chinese men's soccer team to get rid of the embarrassing situation of the worst results in the history of the Asian Cup.
