In the exciting final, if the two teams fail to win in the 90-minute regular season, a 15-minute overtime period will be played in both the first and second halves. If the game is still not decided in the extra time, then penalty kicks will be exchanged to determine which team will win the glory.
**Harbor goes all out for the championship**! Facing a brutal bottom half of the table, Shanghai Seaport will play against veteran powerhouse Beijing Guoan as well as several up-and-coming teams. In the first round, Seaport will face Nanjing City of the Central League, an easy battle. In the second round, Seaport will welcome the winner of the match between Suzhou Dongwu and Wuhan Changjiang, with a very high probability of victory. In the third round, Seaport will most likely face Chengdu Rongcheng or Meizhou Hakka, both of which are promoted teams. If Seaport's coaching team fails to integrate these players into a coherent team, the road to promotion will be challenging. Other strong teams in the bottom half include Beijing Guoan, Changchun Yatai, Dalian Ren and Zhejiang. Two high-profile Chinese Super League (CSL) matches in the bottom half of the zone, Chengdu Rongcheng versus Hebei and Dalian Ren versus Zhejiang, will both take place in this region. For Seaport, who have lost hope of winning the league, the F.A.C. Cup title has become a mission they must accomplish. Especially at a time when Coach Leko is in a crisis of confidence, the F.A.C.A. Cup title has become the last bargaining chip for him to continue his coaching career. If they can win the F.A.C. Cup, Leko may still have a chance to stay on, otherwise, his position may be in jeopardy. **Rumor has it that Li Tie may replace Leko**! Rumors are suddenly circulating on social media that former Chinese football boss Li Tie may coach Seaport. It is reported that due to Lecco's poor results with the team from the early stage of the league, it is difficult to find a suitable foreign coach in the middle of the season, and Seaport has already made some contact with Li Tie in order to save up for a rainy day. As a large number of international players, Li Tie has just led the national football team to complete the journey of the Top 40 and Top 12 matches, and knows the international players like the back of his hand. If the seaport chooses a local coach, Li Tie is undoubtedly the best candidate. However, considering the fact that Seaport has never fired a manager in the middle of the season, the probability is that the final decision will be made at the end of the season. Consistent with the precedent that Seaport has never replaced a manager in the middle of the season, all the previous managers have been foreign coaches. Whether or not the top management will consider choosing a local coach will be a choice they need to make. **Who will win the "Dark Horse Award"? **! Last season's AFC Cup "Dark Horse Award" winner Sichuan Jiuniu will face Guangzhou in the second round. As a "place where miracles happen", it is expected to see which lower league team will emerge from the siege and win the "Dark Horse Award" this season. Former Chinese football captain Zheng Zhi and Yanjing Brewery Deputy General Manager Shen Changliang attended the draw ceremony as guests of honor. Over the past 9 years, the CFF Cup and Yanjing Brewery have jointly promoted the development of "Football for All", initiated and promoted the establishment of the "Dark Horse Award", and launched the "Seed Program", which has been well received by all sectors of the community. They have also initiated and promoted the establishment of the "Dark Horse Award" and launched the "Seed Program" public welfare activities, which have been unanimously praised by all sectors of society. During the draw ceremony, young player Qiu Ziqian also came to the scene as a representative of the "Seed Program" public welfare activities. His school had received soccer balls donated by the Seed Project, and now the youngster has represented Beijing Huifen Middle School in the first China Youth Soccer League Boys U13 National Finals. As Shen Changliang said, the Seed Project provides a platform for young people who love soccer to grow. Mr. Shen also sent a message to all the teams participating in the Cup: "Despite the impact of the epidemic, it did not dampen the passion of the athletes, and the matches were still hot, with each team showing solidarity and the spirit of not giving up, and bringing a lot of excitement to the spectators." "We hope that our sportsmen and women will keep up their efforts in the coming matches and fight wonderfully until the last moment."
