Although Shandong Taishan already have the initiative to advance in the AFC Champions League, they still need to strive for the best performance in the away match against Yokohama Marinos. Even a draw would ensure top spot in the group, which would help the situation in the knockout rounds. While most teams in the Chinese Super League have been on vacation, Taishan has been training intensively overseas for the showdown in a few days. The team will fly en masse to Jeju Island, South Korea, to prepare for the final hurdle of the AFC Champions League group stage and as a way to warm up for the new Chinese Super League season.
Manager Choi Kang-hee intends to use Jeju Island as a training base in order to look for new recruits in South Korea. Before the FA Cup final, he made a decisive decision to plan his trip in advance. He departed from his base in Jinan early in the morning and flew straight to Jeju Island after connecting through Shanghai, and is expected to arrive in the afternoon. Warming up with South Korea is one of the goals of this Jeju Island trip. The end of the domestic league makes it difficult to find opponents, while the Korean league is still continuing. With Choi Kang-hee's influence in Korea, Taishan is expected to play against local teams within a week.
After a week of training in South Korea, the team will head straight to Yokohama, a move designed to ease travel fatigue. In addition, the trip to Korea is also aimed at scouting potential signings in preparation for transfer negotiations. Pohang Tiezhong's Zeca has almost been finalized, and the players have hinted on social media that they are about to join Shandong Taishan. In addition to Zeca, Ulsan Hyundai's Kazayishvili is also highly likely to be the newest member of the Taishan squad. The 30-year-old Georgian international and attacking midfielder plays in a similar position to Moises. Kazayishvili joined the K-League in 2021 and has made 130 appearances in four seasons, scoring 35 goals and assisting 10 times.
Both Zeca and Kazaishvili are top foreigners in the K-League and play for teams that are also top forces in the K-League, perhaps surpassing the strength of the Taishan team. Zeca is a strong contender for the best foreigner in the K-League this season. Ulsan Hyundai are also among the top of the K-League, 10 points ahead of the second place, and have locked up the title early. Kazaishvili's outstanding performance will also help the team to compete for the best foreigner.
The Terriers are making steady progress on the right path and showing strong momentum. In terms of signing levels, the new season is expected to be stronger than the current one. From the age structure point of view, the joining of Zeca and Kazaishvili will also effectively reduce the age burden of Fellaini and Moises. The AFC Champions League knockout rounds as well as the new Chinese Super League season are worth looking forward to a great performance from the Taishan team.