The national soccer team's journey in the 36-team tournament came to an end with a 0-3 loss to South Korea in a World Cup qualifier. Nevertheless, the passion for soccer in China has not subsided, and the excitement continues to build, with the 2023 CFA Cup final taking place at the Suzhou Olympic Sports Center on November 25th, where Shanghai Shenhua will face Shandong Taishan for the title. The match will be broadcast live on CCTV5, the CCTV sports channel, providing a visual feast for fans.
The Lu-Shanghai duo are battling it out in the Cup! Shandong Taishan won the Cup for the third consecutive year, but got off to a slightly rocky start in the league this season. Led by Cui Kangxi, Taishan clung on to the Harbor Team and kept the title fight going until the final round. In the end, Taishan exceeded their target by finishing as runners-up. The AFC Cup is known as the "Taishan Cup", and Taishan's goal is to successfully defend the title and strive for a fourth consecutive championship. Shanghai Shenhua missed out on the third-place finish after losing to Zhejiang in the final round of the league. In the AFC Cup, Shenhua failed to win the title, but also failed to collect any points.
The defensive warriors, Jiang Shenglong and Zhu Chenjie, led the way! Taishan are unable to field their strongest lineup despite a packed bench. Moises, Jadson and naturalized player Fernando will miss the finals due to suspensions, and Pato is doubtful to play even though he has started training. Even if he can play, he may not be able to bring decisive help to the team. The only healthy Taishan foreigners, Cressan and Fellaini, will face Shenhua's key defense.
The future stars of the Chinese national team, Jiang Shenglong and Zhu Chenjie, should perhaps consider the challenge of overseas leagues. Jiang Shenglong made his second consecutive start and performed well, enjoying the match against top opponents, and although he regretted the loss, he was pleased with the opportunity to improve his game. He hopes to accumulate more points in the coming matches in a bid to advance to the next stage. He also expressed his gratitude to the fans.
On November 22nd, two players from Luhu celebrated their birthdays. Taishan's foreign aid Fellaini celebrated his 36th birthday, and Taishan club, fans and FIFA all sent him blessings. As one of the representatives of the Belgian Golden Generation, Fellaini is now the captain of Taishan and has played 32 matches, including 24 starts, contributing 13 goals and 2 assists. He will lead the Taishan team to impact the fourth consecutive championship and bring his Taishan career to a successful conclusion.
On the same day, Shanghai Shenhua player Cao Yunding also celebrated his 34th birthday. Shenhua club and fans sent him blessings. This season, Cao Yunding played 26 matches for Shenhua, starting 13 times and contributing 2 goals and 5 assists. Some of Shenhua's hardcore fans called him their youthful idol and wished him a happy birthday, to keep his youthful mentality forever and help Shenhua win the championship. 2023 AFC Cup final, Cao Yunding and Fellaini's birthday gift, who will be the winner? All the answers will be revealed in the final.
