On January 15, at 3:30 pm, a passionate soccer feast will be held in Suzhou Olympic Sports Center. Shandong Taishan team will start a summit match with Zhejiang team here. It is worth mentioning that early in the morning of January 14th, Shandong Taishan released a promotional poster with the theme of "Fighting for Love" to warm up for the upcoming match.
On the poster, Shandong Taishan's manager Hao Wei and 10 players look heroic in front of the FA Cup trophy. They are: Wang Dalei, Zheng Zheng, Moises, Zhang Qi, Song Long, Wu Xinghan, Shi Ke, Jin Jingdao, Sun Junhao and Chen Pu. The appearance of these 11 players in the poster seems to suggest a unique "starting lineup".
Although there is no definite evidence that these 10 players will be confirmed to start, the combination is highly probable. For example, with foreigner Cressan suspended for a red card and Fellaini injured, Moises and Son Junho are expected to team up to start. The two of them also expressed their desire to win the FA Cup before the match. Jadson is said to have recovered and may return to the starting lineup, which will make Shandong Taishan's lineup more complete.
It is worth mentioning that Shandong Taishan won the double title of the Chinese Champions League and the FA Cup in the 2021 season, and won the FA Cup for two consecutive years in 2020 and 2021. After the loss of defending their Chinese Super League title, Shandong Taishan is even more eager to defend their FA Cup title and fight for love and glory.
Meanwhile, Zhejiang was no slouch either. They eliminated Shanghai Port, led by Oscar and Wu Lei, through penalty kicks in the semifinals. Zhejiang showed their strength by finishing in the top three in the 2022 Chinese Super League with a high score of 65 points. The quick return of captain Frank before the semifinals, a full lineup of foreigners, and scorers Mu Xiekui and Evolo in hot form undoubtedly put Shandong Taishan under tremendous pressure.
It's worth noting that Shandong Taishan didn't have an easy time in their 2022 Chinese Super League match against Zhejiang, narrowly winning 1-0 in the first round and losing 0-2 in the second. This gives Zhejiang a psychological advantage to a certain extent.
Zhejiang's coach Jordy has excellent control of the soccer ball. Once they can take the lead, Shandong Taishan will face a huge challenge. Compared to other foreign coaches who returned home early, Jordy's dedication is admirable. Going into the final, he will definitely give his best to lead the team to the championship. Before the match, the Zhejiang team official also released a poster to express their desire for the championship.
According to the rules of the competition, the FA Cup final is a single match. Let's wait and see the specific trend of this exciting duel. It is reported that, in addition to the relevant online platforms, CCTV sports channel (CCTV5) will also start from 15:25, focusing on live broadcast of the game.
