The third round of the F.A.C. Cup came to a close with the unexpected sight of a collective "dud" from the Chinese Super League teams. Chengdu Rongcheng, Cangzhou Lions and Shenzhen failed to withstand the impact of their opponents and said goodbye to this season's trip to the AFC Cup. Among them, Chengdu Rongcheng and Shenzhen team were eliminated by the second league team, while Cangzhou Lions were defeated in the competition with the second team.
It is worth mentioning that Chinese Super League teams cannot use foreign players when playing against second division teams, according to the Football Association. This rule undoubtedly increases the difficulty of the game and makes the difference in the level of domestic players a hot topic of discussion.
Shenhua were down by a goal at one point in their away match against Yukon in Yunnan. Had it not been for youngster Fernando and the experienced Han Chao stepping up at the crucial moment, Shenhua would have been in an even more embarrassing position. However, after Shenhua's equalizer, the broadcast signal of the AFC Cup was suddenly interrupted, preventing TV and internet viewers from witnessing Monkey's goal scoring moment. This incident not only triggered the anger of the fans, but also exposed the shortcomings of Chinese soccer in terms of soft power.
With the news of Shenhua's come-from-behind win, many fans questioned the team's performance. They argued that even in domestic matches, the ability of Shenhua's players should be higher than their opponents, and that the victory shouldn't rely on luck alone. The voices of the fans point to the crux of the matter: is it true that a Chinese Super League team without foreign aid can't beat a second division team? Is it true that Chinese players can't play when foreign aiders are off? These two questions were confirmed in the match between Chengdu Rongcheng and Shenzhen.
Looking back a few years ago, the Chinese Super League was in the "Golden Dollar Era", with many teams having luxurious foreign aid formations. This phenomenon not only made the league full of attractions, but also allowed Chinese players to gradually develop the habit of relying on foreign aid. However, as the "golden dollar wave" recedes, it is difficult to change the bad habits of players in a short period of time. In various competitions, the performance of the national soccer team has been unsatisfactory, and the lack of creativity in the midfield is their legacy.
Cui Kangxi once led Shenhua to win the FA Cup, and now serves as the coach of Shandong. He said that Chinese players should learn to be the protagonists of the game, get rid of the dependence on foreign aid and try to "bring" foreign aid. In the past, we did this in the league and the cup. The domestic players of the old Shenhua team could develop international student Varoja into the team's top scorer with tacit cooperation and passing. The old Guoan team also used to finish in the top three in the league with an all Chinese squad. Nowadays, the performance of the national soccer team is worrying, but at least the basic technical skills of the international players are enough to deal with Asian opponents.
The elimination of two Chinese Super League (CSL) teams from the tournament means that a second division team will advance to the last eight of the AFC Cup to be the opponent of either Shenhua or Zhejiang. On the face of it, the winner of Shanghai and Zhejiang is likely to advance directly to the semifinals. However, judging from the third round, neither of the two Chinese Super League teams dare to take it lightly. After all, Mr. Zhu Jun's assertion that "Chinese players are all at the same level" is being proven time and time again. To change this situation, I'm afraid that it's not just a matter of hiring a few outstanding coaches.
