In the moment of social media, Shandong Taishan team's midfield soul Moises and three comrades in the same frame, between the lines reveals the sadness of the upcoming farewell: "Time is about to draw to a close." Fans' hearts were tightened, and the sadness signaled the farewell of Moyses, leaving countless Shandong fans with endless feelings of sadness and reluctance. Moyses played an irreplaceable role in the Taishan team, which was especially evident in the FA Cup duel between Taishan and Shenhua. Looking back at the crucial battle with Shanghai SIPG, Moises' red card for a foul became the turning point of the game.
The CFA's subsequent additional punishment made Moises miss the AFC Cup final against Shenhua. His absence left Taishan without a link up and threat in front of goal, and the team eventually lost 0-1, missing out on the 2023 F.A.C.A. Cup title. The result made Shandong fans realize the importance of Moises.
However, why is it difficult for Shandong fans to let go? As we all know, Moises is the mainstay of the Taishan team, but the team has not renewed his contract. This season, Moises' performance is slightly weaker compared to last season. Nonetheless, his role and statistics on the field clearly surpass those of Pato, who was brought in from the Indonesian league. Pato joined the club with the aura of the Indonesian Golden Boot, but failed to deliver the expected performance.
In Taishan's offensive chain, Pato seems dispensable and rarely makes a decisive contribution. If Luneng fans were to choose between the two, they would undoubtedly choose Moises without hesitation. Since joining Taishan, Moises has been a steady output of goals and assists in almost every season, and his contribution was indispensable in helping the team achieve the double of the Chinese Super League and the AFC Cup in the 2021 season. So why would Taishan manager Choi Kang-hee prefer to keep Pato and let go of this core player? Perhaps, there are two reasons.
First of all, Moises is already relatively old, as a player born in '88, he is 35 years old and the peak of his career has already passed. His presence is not in line with Taishan's strategy of replacing the old with the new, and he has problems with sticking to the ball and shooting on the offensive end. Secondly, Moises' salary level is extremely high. In the era of gold dollar soccer, Moises' high salary makes him a big burden for Taishan. Taishan thought that releasing Moises could save salary space, which could be used to bring in two top foreigners. In view of the above, Taishan finally decided to give up Moises. Luneng fans are looking forward to seeing Moises revitalize his career next season, no matter where he is.
