Soccer fans have favored Shandong Taishan and Shanghai Shenhua will be expected to ask for the final.
On the night of August 31st, the final four of the Chinese FA Cup were revealed. In the next semifinal matchup, Shandong Taishan will face Dalian Ren, while Shanghai Shenhua will meet Qingdao Hainiu. Many soccer fans are convinced that Shandong Taishan and Shanghai Shenhua will have a chance to repeat the classic "Three Sticks" matchup between Shanghai and Lu in the 2019 AFC Cup final.
Beijing Guoan went through a penalty shootout at home but failed to beat Shandong Taishan, missing out on the quarterfinals of the AFC Cup.
Beijing Guoan hosted Shandong Taishan in the quarter-final of the AFC Cup. In the first half, Shandong Taishan's foreigner Moises hit the goalpost with a free kick, and Chen Pu made up for it; Beijing Guoan responded quickly with Zhang Xizhe's precise long pass that helped Jiang Xiangyou break through the goal. Later, Taishan's forward Cressan scored, but the referee ruled it offside.
After 90 minutes of intense fighting, the two sides were tied at 1-1 and went into overtime. As both sides failed to break through, the game turned into a penalty shootout amidst constant foul play. With Guoan's foreign aid Jiang Xiangyou on the field in the fifth round, Shandong Taishan firmly scored the fifth penalty kick, and finally won the match by a total score of 6-5, advancing to the quarterfinals. Next, Shandong Taishan will face the already advanced opponent Dalian Ren.
On the same night, Qingdao Sea Bulls advanced to the quarterfinals with a 3-0 away win over Nantong Zhiyun, and the Sea Bulls will host Shanghai Shenhua in the semifinals.
Shanghai Shenhua and Dalian have both beaten their opponents in the first two rounds of the competition to advance to the semifinals. Shenhua faced Chongqing Tongliang Dragons, the dark horse of this season's F.A.C.A. Cup, who were undefeated for 16 rounds in the second round of the competition. Cheered on by their home fans, Chongqing Tongliang Dragons played aggressively, outshooting Shenhua in both shots and offense.
However, the experienced Shenhua had the last laugh, with Han Chao and Fernando leading 2-0 at half-time. The stoppage in the last 8 of the FA Cup was regretted by Chongqing Tongliang Dragons. After the match, numerous players were in tears. Coach Linlin said, "We will return to the training ground and continue to work hard. I saw many young players in tears, but they still have a lot of room for improvement. I hope that with everyone's joint efforts, we can witness Shanghai Shenhua's glory again in the league in the next few years."
