On a hot summer day, the 2023 CFA Cup 1/8 Finals kicked off on July 25, with five exciting matches staged each day. After a fierce battle, Tianjin Jinmen Tigers, Dalian People, Qingdao Hainiu, Chongqing Tongliang Dragons and Shanghai Shenhua stood out and successfully advanced, while Shanghai Port, Henan, Changchun Yatai, Nantong Haimenke and Zhejiang regretted to stop.
The match between Shanghai Harbor and Tianjin Jinmenhu ended in a 0-0 draw, with Tianjin Jinmenhu winning the penalty shootout 5-3. It is worth mentioning that Tianjin Jinmen Tigers had defeated Wuxi Wuhu, a China B team, in the knockout stage. In this round, Tianjin Jinmen Tigers are sitting in Tianjin Teda Football Stadium, starting with a double-external-assistant lineup, with Berridge as a single striker, and Zhao Yingjie, Sun Xuelong, Chang Feiya, Anduohar, Yang Zihao and others in the lineup.
Shanghai Seaport, who knocked out Central League Guangzhou in the knockout round, lined up three foreigners in Lu Wenjun and Marcus Pinko, Vargas, Issa Caron, Cai Huikang, Jiang Guangtai and Wei Zhen for their debut this round.
The referee of the match was Gu Chunhan from Wuhan. Both sides failed to score in the first half, and Shanghai Seaport replaced Oscar, Wu Lei and other main players in the second half to no avail. After the end of regular time, both sides entered the penalty shootout. Rosa, Xie Weijun, Park Taoyu, Yang Fan in Tianjin Jinmen Tiger was penalized, Shanghai Seaport first round Oscar was hit, Vargas was penalized, Wu Lei and Wang Shen was penalized. Zhao Yingjie was penalized in the fifth round and the match ended with Tianjin Jinmen Tigers narrowly advancing to the last eight.
The match between Henan and Dalian Ren was equally intense, ending in a 1-1 draw and a 5-3 win for Dalian Ren on penalties. Dalian People, who had previously eliminated Central League side Yanbian Longding, sat down at Dalian's Jinzhou Stadium in this round and started with an all-Chinese squad, led by Zhao Jianbo's single striker, with Fei Yu, Cui Ming'an, Wang Tengda, Huang Jiahui and Lin Longchang joining hands to start the match.
Changchun Yatai and Qingdao Hainiu won a close 1-0 match. Qingdao Hainiu, who knocked out Central League One side Dandong Teng Yue in the knockout round, were situated at the Qingdao Youth Football Stadium in this round, and started with an all-Chinese lineup, with Song Wenjie and Sun Xipeng partnering the double strikers, as well as Zheng Long, Zhong Jinbao, Liu Chaoyang, and Liu Jiaxun.
The match between Nantong Haimenke and Chongqing Tongliang Dragon saw Nantong Haimenke win 3-0. Chongqing Tongliang Dragons, who had beaten Chengdu Rongcheng in the knockout stage, were at the Chongqing Tongliang Dragons Stadium in this round, with Chen Jiaqi leading the way as a single striker, as well as Dilichati, Huang Xiyang, Zhao Hejing, and Hu Yongfa in the starting lineup.
Shanghai Shenhua won 5-1 against Zhejiang. Shanghai Shenhua, who narrowly beat Chinese B team Yunnan Yukun in the knockout stage, are sitting at the Shanghai Stadium for the first time in this round, releasing three foreigners in the lineup, with Mallet, Xu Hao Yang and Yu Hanchao leading the way, as well as mainstays such as Dai Weijun, Amadou and Yan Xinli.
