On August 22nd, Shanghai Seaport lost 2-3 against Baton Rouge United in the AFC Champions League qualification playoffs, a game that has become a hot topic of discussion. Surprisingly, Shanghai Seaport, which was touted as a runner-up in the Chinese Super League (CSL), lost to a little-known Thai league team, writing an embarrassing chapter for the CSL. Shanghai Seaport not only became the first Chinese Super League team to lose to a Thai team, but also created the history of losing to a Thai team as a Chinese Super League runner-up.
When Shanghai Harbour, with a lineup almost entirely made up of international players, faced Pathum United, the sixth-ranked team in the Thai league, they suffered an unexpected loss. Spectators witnessed international players such as Zhang Linpeng, Jiang Guangtai, Wu Lei, Xu Xin and Yan Junling struggle on the field. They realized that those international players who encountered the Thai national team in the international arena are now defeated again against the Thai Premier League's Pathum United. Despite two years of hard work by the Harbour players, there seems to be no significant improvement in their skills.
After being eliminated so embarrassingly by a Thai Premier League team that struggled to even name all of its players, some Shanghai media began to question the Bahraini refereeing crew's calls. The Shanghai media pointed out that the two goals scored by Baton Rouge United were allegedly offside. This makes people wonder whether Bahraini referee Mahfouz's enforcement was unfair, as the Thai team scored three goals in a row at home. It would be unimaginable if this scenario were to happen in a Chinese Super League match. Looking ahead, Harbour's only goal is to win the league. After all, with the AFC Champions League and AFC Cup out of the way, the league title is their only hope.
