On September 5 in Beijing time zone, the much-anticipated AFC Cup second round (top 32) draw ceremony came to an end, Shandong Taishan, as the previous champion, unfortunately fell into the fiercely competitive "death of the upper half", while Shanghai Shanghai SIPG was lucky to draw a more relaxed signing position, its lower half of the zone is almost no enemy, as long as they do not make mistakes, advance to the final is almost within reach. As long as they don't make any mistakes, they will be able to reach the final in no time.
In the second round of the F.A.C. Cup, the 16 teams from the Chinese Super League (CSL) will battle with the 16 teams that advanced from the first round. The tournament is divided into top and bottom halves, with the round of 32 and round of 16 being decided in a single round, while the round of 8 and the semifinals are played in a two-legged system, and the final is also decided in a single round.
The results of the draw were announced and Shandong Taishan will face Qingdao Sea Cowboys, despite the strength of their opponents, Shandong Taishan's advancement to the last 16 seems to be not in doubt. However, the first half of the zone where Shandong Taishan is located gathers the top four teams in the Chinese Super League standings, including Wuhan Sanzhen, Henan Songshan Longmen, Shanghai Shenhua, and the second-ranked team in the Chinese First Division, Kunshan.
By contrast, Shanghai SIPG's Round of 32 opponent is Nanjing City, while its only strong rival in the bottom half of the table is Beijing Guoan. The rest of the Chinese Super League (CSL) teams such as Changchun Yatai, Dalian Ren, Zhejiang, and Meizhou Hakka were unable to pose a threat to Shanghai Hong Kong. In the summer transfer window, Hong Kong has introduced a number of powerful players such as Vargas, Karon, Wu Lei, Li Shuai, Jiang Guangtai, etc. The overall strength of the team has been significantly improved, and although the league title is out of reach, the AFC Cup title will still be their primary goal.
This summer transfer period, SIPG made large-scale reinforcements, bringing in players such as Vargas, Karon, Wu Lei, Li Shuai, Jiang Guangtai, etc. The strength of the team has been greatly improved. Although the league title is hopeless, the AFC Cup title will still be their primary goal.
In the draw for the last 32 of the AFC Cup, there was a clear contrast between the strengths of the top and bottom halves, and some fans chortled, "Chen Xuyuan is taking care of Hong Kong again." Of course, some fans also said that in order to win the championship, no matter what opponent you face, you must go all out! It is important to know that previously, Hong Kong had played 17 rounds of penalty kicks in the match against Suzhou Dongwu, a team in the Central League, before advancing in a thrilling way.
Therefore, in the battle for the AFC Cup title, although SIPG holds the best signing, it still can't be taken lightly. In the first half of the zone, Wuhan Sanzhen, Shandong Taishan, Henan Songshan Longmen, Shanghai Shenhua and other teams who can advance to the final, let us wait and see.
