As the night wore on, a thrilling battle for the second round of the AFC Champions League's eighth-place playoffs took place in Beijing on February 21st, Beijing time. Yokohama Mariners, who were in town, narrowly beat Bangkok United of Thailand by 1-0, and advanced to the quarterfinals with a total score of 3-2. With that, Shandong Taishan will meet Yokohama Mariners in the quarterfinals, and coach Choi Kang-hee has the perfect opportunity to get his revenge.
Looking back at the first round matchup between Yokohama Mariners and Bangkok United, the two sides shook hands in a 2-2 draw. In the second round, the Yokohama Mariners returned home and were widely expected to advance. Although the result was as expected, the match was incredibly close. Although Yokohama Mariners had a clear advantage in possession, their shooting efficiency was not high. 37 shots were taken in the match, and only 5 of them were on target. The Yokohama Mariners were as fierce as a storm in the match, but were unable to convert their advantage into points until the end of the match when Lopez stepped up to the plate.
According to the AFC Champions League schedule, Shandong Taishan will usher in a showdown with Yokohama Mariners on March 6 and March 13, first at home and then on the road. The two teams have had four previous meetings in the AFC Champions League, with Shandong Taishan defeating their opponents by 1-0 and 2-1 in the 2005 group stage. This season, Shandong Taishan were grouped with Yokohama Mariners in the group stage, but suffered two consecutive defeats. In the end, Yokohama Mariners finished at the top of the group, while Shandong Taishan finished in second place. There is no secret that the two teams are playing each other.
Comparing the technical and tactical characteristics of the two teams, Yokohama Mariners specialize in short ground penetration passes, rapid passing, and tacit understanding between players; while Shandong Taishan is not afraid of power confrontation and impact. Especially after eliminating Kawasaki Vanguard on the road, Shandong Taishan's morale is greatly boosted. I'm sure Coach Choi Kang-hee will learn from the experience, both in terms of tactical adjustments and lineup arrangements. As the saying goes, let's hope that Shandong Taishan can continue to defend the glory of the Chinese Super League. Go Shandong Taishan!
