Shandong Taishan's midfielder Liu Yang's recent form has become a major concern for the team. In the past two seasons, Liu Yang has become the king of domestic players in terms of attendance. However, he has recently fallen out of favor in the starting left back position of the national team and has been making a lot of mistakes in the club. In a showdown with Zhejiang, he caused his team to concede a goal due to a reckless foul. Coach Choi Kang-hee has begun to try to adjust the backline, with Wu Xinghan showing good strength at left back and the return of Wang Tong bringing new energy to the team.
Despite the team's foreign strikers, the play of the homegrown center forward doesn't seem to be as crucial. Previously, due to Zeca's injury, Bi Jinhao got a lot of chances to play and scored three goals in many games, which was a remarkable performance. However, with Zeca returning and maintaining good form, Bizinho's playing time is gradually decreasing, and he may even leave the team next year. Taishan still has four AFC Champions League matches to play this year, and the team's goal is to at least get out of the group. The gap in the league allows Choi Kang-hee to focus on preparing for the AFC Champions League, and even if he can only sit in the stands, he can still keep a firm grip on the team's lifeblood.
Midfielder Peng Xinli had a great shot on goal and Huang Zhengyu delivered a precise assist. The two players are back in form, which will have a positive impact on the team's lineup adjustment in the AFC Champions League. Choi Kang-hee has been very cautious in his use of personnel, and Cressan's injury has prevented him from starting him, not to mention going all out in the league stage. The performance in the AFC Champions League group stage will have a direct impact on Choi's contract renewal prospects. Substitutes such as Zhao Jianfei, He Xiaoke, Jia Feifan and Liu Shibo are expected to get a chance to feature in the final round against Meizhou Hakka to work on the younger players. Taishan have plenty of rest time to prepare for the away match against Pohang Ironmen. The foreign trident is getting more and more in tune with each other, and fans are expecting them to shine in the AFC Champions League.
