Taishan's unfortunate 0-1 loss to Yokohama Mariners in their first home game of the new AFC Champions League season overshadowed the team's start to the season. Nevertheless, the team's performance in the second half brought a ray of light to the fans. After 5 intense matches in 15 consecutive days, Taishan finally had a brief respite.
In the match against Yokohama Marinos, Taishan was almost completely passive in the first half, especially in the last 15 minutes of the match, the rhythm was completely controlled by the opponent, and the team was stuck in a tired defense. It was in this period that the opponents seized the opportunity to score, making Taishan 0-1 down at halftime. Both in terms of ball possession and number of shots, Taishan was clearly in a disadvantageous position.
The performance of Taishan in the first half could be described as all passive. Coach Choi Kang-hee did not adopt certain suggestions in the tactical arrangement. In the second half, he made some decisive substitutions to change the situation on the field, and the scene improved. However, Cressan's two shots were blocked by the goalposts, and he was unable to equalize the score. In this game, Taishan team did not seem to be favored by luck. After the match, Choi Kang-hee expressed his regret that the team failed to play according to the established plan in the first half of the match, resulting in a very passive situation, which was the main reason for the defeat.
Choi Kang-hee also analyzed Cressan's two shots that hit the post in the second half. He thought it was both power and luck. In competitive sports, power and luck often go hand in hand. He thought the team still had shortcomings in detail handling and luck was not quite on Taishan's side.
Before the match, Choi Kang-hee mentioned the huge difference between the Chinese Super League and the Asian Champions League. After the match, he emphasized this point again. He said that the opponent's style is very different compared to the Chinese Super League team. The Japanese team's short pass attack in the midfield was very well organized. Due to the relative unfamiliarity, the team had some problems adapting.
Despite losing 0-1 in their first home game, Taesan are now down to third place in the group, but the team's strong comeback in the second half has given fans hope. Next up, Taesan will face Incheon United, two games that will be crucial for the team.
After an intensive schedule of five matches in 15 days, the Chinese Super League has entered a break. Taishan's next match will be against Changchun Yatai on October 20, and the team will take this opportunity to have a short break. For Wang Dalei, Chen Pu and Liu Yang, three members of the national team, they still need to prepare for the game and will join the national team assembly soon.
