In the second round of the AFC Champions League, Shandong Taishan defeated Yokohama Mariners 0-1 on the road. It seems that the difference of one goal is still acceptable, however, in the second half within 30 minutes, facing the numerical superiority, Shandong Taishan was like a mute fire, and the attacking consciousness was completely gone, which is puzzling. The mistakes of the substitutes were even worse, Wu Xinghan's out of position directly led to Lopez's score, which became the only goal of the match, and Wu Xinghan was widely criticized for it.
Choi Kang-hee's substitution strategy is clearly questionable. Does he understand Wu Xinghan's true level? Wu Xinghan, who was loaned out last season due to the derailment incident, was actually able to play in the last eight of the AFC Champions League after returning this season, which makes people question his background. Derailment, suspected of gambling, but still can return to the Taishan team, the club's management problems have become the talk of the town after dinner.
After the game, Wu Xinghan was met with a lot of abuse on social media, but a huge misunderstanding occurred, the target of the abuse was not Wu Xinghan himself, but an impostor. Wu Xinghan's social media updates decreased after the cheating incident, but the anger of the fans was still hard to hide. Obviously, Wu Xinghan is regarded as the primary person responsible for Shandong Taishan's loss.
Shandong Taishan's loss was understandable, but the previous three consecutive losses have exposed the team's strength. The AFC Champions League's top-eight finish was equal to the best in the team's history, but it couldn't hide the problems that existed. The question of why a player like Wu Xinghan can return and be reused by Choi Kang-hee is puzzling.
At one time, Shandong Taishan became the pride of Chinese soccer under the glory of three consecutive FA Cup titles and the Chinese Super League championship. However, the arrests of Hao Wei, Guo Tianyu, Jin Jingdao and foreign aid Sun Junhao revealed serious problems in the club's management. Despite the return of Wu Xinghan, the club's management problems remain unresolved. After winning the Chinese Super League, the club has struggled to improve in the AFC Champions League, and merely making it to the last eight seems more like a form of self-indulgence.
Since Guangzhou Evergrande broke into the AFC Champions League quarterfinals in 2019, there has been no breakthrough for the Chinese Super League team. The gap between Shandong Taishan and Guangzhou Evergrande is obvious, and the two AFC Champions League trophies have become an unattainable dream for Chinese Super League teams. Shanghai SIPG, Beijing Guoan and Taishan, I don't know how much longer we have to wait to touch this honor. Even if they can't win the title, at least making it to the quarterfinals is a worthy goal. However, it is undoubtedly a pity for Chinese soccer that they failed to even pass the qualifying rounds last season.
