At the beginning of June, the new season of the Chinese Super League is about to start on June 3, and the previous champion Shandong Taishan will advance to Haikou in the first stage of the tournament. In its latest report, Qilu Evening News analyzes the direction of the Taishan team in the new season, pointing out that whether or not Sun Junhao is selected for the World Cup squad will be a key factor affecting the team's trend.
Currently, Taishan's starting lineup has taken shape and includes five foreigners, including Sun Junho, Jadason, Fellaini, Kressan and Moises, while Delgado has not signed up for the first phase of the tournament. Apart from Liao Lixiang, who is replacing Xu Xin, and Guo Tianyu, who has not returned for the time being, the team's other domestic players basically follow the same lineup that won the title last season.
It is worth mentioning that, in addition to these main players, the team's reserve force should not be underestimated. Yi Xianlong, Liu Guobao, Lu Yongtao, Fang Hao and other new players who joined the first team, their performance is also worth watching.
However, the Taishan team is not without worries on the road to victory. The biggest uncertainty facing the team is the number of matches for Son Junho. It is reported that Son will travel to Japan in July to join the South Korean national team for the East Asian Cup, which undoubtedly means that he will miss all the matches from mid-July to mid-August. At the moment, it seems difficult for Taishan to find a suitable replacement for Sun Junho.
If Sun Jungho is selected for the World Cup, he will likely not return home before the World Cup. At that time, Sun Junho will be absent from all the remaining matches of the Chinese Super League and the AFC Cup. Only after the end of the East Asian Cup, Taishan team will be able to clarify the response strategy, which is undoubtedly a serious test of the team's ability to adapt.
