The FA Cup is in full swing and the schedule for the third round has been released. 22nd at 15:30, Dalian People will embark on a journey to challenge Yanbian Longding's home field. In this tense off-season, it is undoubtedly a great opportunity to improve the team's strength to have a real battle to practice the team.
In this round of matches, 16 Chinese Super League (CSL) powerhouses appeared in full, and 11 Chinese A League (CAL) powerhouses and 5 Chinese B League (CBL) newcomers started a fierce battle. In terms of overall strength, the Chinese Super League teams have an absolute advantage. However, it is worth noting that many teams often send substitutes to play in the FA Cup due to heavy league duties, which has become a major factor in the tournament's unpopularity.
For Dalian, who is currently at the bottom of the Chinese Super League (CSL), winning the AFC Cup is not the primary goal. In this off-season, the team is in urgent need of adjusting their form and striving for excellence, in order to meet the challenges of the next round of the league with a new attitude. The fact that half of the starting lineup has been called up has posed a challenge to head coach Xie Hui's tactical adjustments, but the team as a whole still has a lot of details that need to be polished and supplemented.
The FA Cup showdown on the 22nd is undoubtedly an excellent opportunity for Dalian to prepare for the match. Given that there is no pressure to achieve results in the FA Cup, the team can be more daring and experimental in terms of staffing. The league will restart on the 28th, so the players don't need to worry about the fatigue of consecutive games. Currently, Yanbian Longding is ranked sixth in the Central League, just one point behind third-place Nanjing City, making it an ideal "proving ground" for the team.
