On October 25th, Shandong Taishan defeated Incheon United by a score of 20-0 on the road and gained three valuable points. Manager Choi Kang-hee skillfully turned a difficult situation into an opportunity, which not only revitalized the team's morale, but also ensured Taishan's qualification. The victory also gave Taesan more confidence for their next match against Seaport.
Fearless of injuries, Choi Kang-hee turns danger into success
Facing the strict rules of the AFC Champions League, Choi Kang-hee faced many challenges in lining up his team. Despite the fact that the Taishan team only has four foreigners, Fellaini, Cressan, Moises and Jadson, and Fellaini and Cressan have different degrees of injuries, Choi Kang-hee did not let the difficulties break him.
Instead of starting all four foreigners in the first half, Choi Kang-hee hid Cressan and strengthened his defense. Despite Kichijo's injury in the opening 10 minutes, Taishan managed to maintain their first-half lead with tenacious defense and counterattacks.
In the second half, Kressan came on as a substitute and formed a synergy with Liu Binbin's side impact. In the 56th minute, Kressan scored a wonderful world wave outside the penalty area to seal the win for Taishan.
Incheon United's frantic offense didn't last long as Taesan quickly regained control of the game. In the 87th minute, Fellaini took a pass from Cressan and hit a low shot to end the game for good.
Choi Kang-hee's hiring strategy was based on both a deep understanding of the Taesan team and familiarity with Korean soccer. Facing a tough opponent, he chose to play hard, and through rational deployment of foreigners and wingers, as well as efficient competition in the second half, he eventually won.
Super League teams bounce back with uplifting shutout wins
On the night of the 25th, the Chinese Super League teams had a fruitful night. Zhejiang beat Japanese team Kofu Fung Lam 2-0, while Wuhan Sanzhen beat Hanoi 4-0, three Chinese Super League teams won all their matches in this round.
Twelve years later, Zhejiang won the AFC Champions League again, and despite currently sitting at the bottom of the group, the situation for progression remains bleak. Wuhan Sanzhen, on the other hand, finished second in the group with four points to claim their first AFC Champions League victory.
Taesan's victory was particularly crucial, as they turned the group around with three points against a solid Incheon United team, and are temporarily at the top of the group standings on the same points as Incheon United and Yokohama Mariners.
With the first half of the group stage over, Taishan and three other teams are back to the same starting line. The second half of the schedule is much more favorable for Taishan, and by taking two games at home, advancing in the group is hardly a problem.
The victory of the Chinese Super League team has injected new vitality into the league. In recent years, the Chinese Super League has not performed well in the AFC Champions League, but now that the overall development is good, the teams have become more and more solid in the AFC Champions League.
The suspense is still there, but the focus is more relaxed
Taishan will travel to Shanghai to challenge Shanghai Harbor on the 29th, the last of their three consecutive cross-country matches in ten days. Harbor currently leads the league with 59 points, five points ahead of Taishan. Although Taishan cannot take the initiative to win the title after defeating their rivals, this victory can still keep the suspense of the Super League title ownership until the end.
However, Taishan didn't put all their energy into this marquee match, as they showed the strength and fighting spirit of the Chinese Super League team in the AFC Champions League. After the match, Taishan can face the Harbor team more comfortably.
Fellaini's recovery from injury has been better than expected, and he is light on his feet and poses more of a threat to the T&T side. Cressan is in stable form and is expected to continue his good performance. The recovery of the two injured players, as well as the excellent performance of the young players, adds more confidence to the Taishan team in the next round of matches.
