In the fierce competition of the top 8 of the 2023 China Football Association Cup, two key matches on the night of August 31st brought a visual feast to the fans. Shandong Taishan battled with Guoan on the road and ended up with a 1:1 draw, 0:0 in extra time and a thrilling 5:4 win on penalties, while Qingdao Sea Cowboys showed their strength with a 3:0 win over Nantong Zhiyun.
The most notable match of the tournament was the powerful duel between Guoan and Shandong Taishan. Shandong Taishan nearly broke through just 9 minutes into the match when Zheng Zheng's left-footed shot hit the goal post. Immediately afterward, Li Yuan was able to capture the second drop point and sent the ball into the empty goal, Shandong Taishan 1:0 dream start. However, in the 15th minute, Kang Xiangyou of Guoan equalized the score with a high-speed breakthrough.
The game into the second half, the two sides back and forth, but were unable to distinguish between winners and losers in the regular time. Guoan head coach Suarez lost control of his emotions after the equalizer and ran to the Shandong Taishan bench to celebrate, a move that appeared to be quite irrational. In the 37th minute, Shandong Taishan got a corner kick, Moises' shot was blocked by the goal post, and then Claesson's supplementary shot was blown offside.
Referee Manning showed 14 yellow cards and one red card in this game, with the penalties against Moises and Claesson sparking discontent from both sides. In the overtime period, Moises' powerful shot was blocked by Li Lei, but Manning did not blow the penalty corner, which made Moises feel extremely dissatisfied. In the end, after a penalty shootout, Shandong Taishan won 5:4 and advanced to the semifinals.
It is worth mentioning that Shandong Taishan won the AFC Cup last season by beating Zhejiang 2:1 in the final. This season, Shandong Taishan ranked second in the Chinese Super League and Shanghai Shenhua ranked third, both teams broke into the semifinals. If they can continue to move forward, this season's F.A.C.P.A. Cup final may once again be the pinnacle of the Chinese Super League's second and third place, with Qingdao Manatees and Dalian People's battling it out in a matchup that is worth keeping an eye on.
