With the weekend approaching, the Chinese Super League has reignited its passion. Shenhua departed for Dalian late this afternoon, marking the start of the second phase of their campaign. Despite facing a much stronger opponent, and with core players such as Wu Xi and Liu Ruofan unable to return immediately, the team was able to return to Shanghai to recuperate from the resumption of the home-and-away system, which is undoubtedly a great encouragement to the team.
Returning to Shanghai to recuperate is significant.
The second stage of the league resumed the home-and-away system, and 11 clubs were able to play in this stadium; unfortunately, Shenhua was not listed. Temporarily unable to return to the Hongkou Football Stadium, during the break, the team tried to contact Yancheng and other cities around Shanghai, but failed to implement the stadium. Finally, in the list provided by the Football Association, the team chose Dalian as the second stage of the "home field". Shenhua is familiar with the Jinzhou Stadium in Dalian, where they have played many league matches before, and Jinzhou is also the venue for Shenhua's matches in the first phase of this season. Moreover, the summer climate in Dalian is cool and pleasant.
Photo: Dalian Jinzhou Stadium, Xinmin Evening News reporter Li Mingshen photo
According to the FA's schedule, Shenhua will play two consecutive home matches in Jinzhou, Dalian, against Changchun Yatai and Shandong Taishan, and then travel west to Chengdu Rongcheng, then south to Haikou to challenge Tianjin Jinmenhu and Beijing Guoan, and finally return to Dalian to prepare for the follow-up league. As the away games are spread all over the country, if Shenhua returns to Shanghai to recuperate after completing these rounds of the league and then goes to Dalian, the team's flight distance will be more than 8,000 kilometers. In the second stage of the league, the Football Association will first advance the cost of the neutral venue and subsidize the team's epidemic prevention funds, but the transportation costs to and from the away game will still have to be borne by the club itself.
The long journey will take a lot out of the players, but in Shenhua's current situation, it is vital that they are able to return to Shanghai to recuperate and prepare for the game. After all, the pace of the home-and-away league is something the team is familiar with, and the players don't need to endure the physical and mental stress of four months of closed-door training. Returning to the Kangqiao base, training at their own ground and gym, building strength and utilizing first-class equipment to restore fitness, the preparation effect is naturally superior to other places.
Photo: Returning to Shanghai to recuperate and prepare for the game is crucial for the team, source
Compared to the first phase, Shenhua's roster for the flight to Dalian has changed considerably. Zhu Yue, He Longhai and Jiang Zhixin have been called up to the U21 national youth team, which will travel to Croatia in early August to play in the local league, leaving three empty slots to be filled by Cong Zhen, Xu Yougang and Yang Zexiang. Cong Zhen and Xu Yougang, who have both represented Shenhua in the Chinese Super League, were loaned out to Chongqing Liangjiang of the Chinese Super League and Zibo Cuju of the Chinese League One last season. Yang Zexiang, born in 1994, is a wingback who Shenhua signed from Dalian Ren and loaned to Chengdu Rongcheng last season. In addition, right back Zhao Mingjian has been loaned to Kunshan FC of the Chinese League One, and his position will be filled by another player, who has yet to be confirmed.
The first stage of Shenhua's performance exceeded expectations, temporarily ranked fourth on the table, but the second stage will face Shandong Taishan, Henan Songshan Longmen, Beijing Guoan, Changchun Yatai and other strong opponents, and the team players suffered injuries, the challenge is huge. Wu Xi, who suffered a rib fracture, is still recuperating at home in Nanjing and will not be able to travel with the team this time. Yu Hanchao, who underwent meniscus surgery in Shanghai last month and still needs to recuperate after the operation, was also unable to travel with the team today. Qian Jie, who suffered a medial collateral ligament injury in his left knee and an ankle sprain in the final round of the first phase, traveled to Dalian with the team even though he has yet to fully recover.
Photo: Shenhua will face many challenges in the next stage
