Shanghai Seaport's fortunes have been in the doldrums recently. Following the unfortunate injury of the team's soul, the Gold of Glory, Oscar, in training, foreign striker Lopez has also suffered an injury recently. Oscar suffered a broken toe, and according to the official recovery time announced by the harbor, he will miss the first three rounds of the AFC Cup. Lopez's injury is more serious, according to the latest news, he may have suffered a tear of the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, almost certain that the season is over. The injuries of the two foreigners have undoubtedly posed a huge challenge to Harbor's preparation for the AFC Cup.
However, the harbor is not the only team in trouble. During the long league break, many Chinese Super League teams have encountered various difficulties, such as Guangzhou and Hebei teams are in deep trouble and their future is uncertain. According to Soccer Daily, the departure of Guangzhou's head coach, Carnavaro, is almost a foregone conclusion, and the team's future is full of uncertainties. In contrast, Qingdao and Chongqing Liangjiang Athletic, two teams that have faced an existential crisis, seem to be in a slightly better situation, and the two teams have now finished assembling and are preparing for the start of the campaign.
During this period, the Taishan team had a full and orderly life. after regrouping in early September, the team went to Luneng Football School for training and interacted well with the ladder team. After returning to the base in Jinan, the Taishan team had a series of warm-ups with Wuhan and Jinmen Tigers. It can be said that Taishan's preparation was meticulous. However, the team is still facing the reality of the dilemma - the personnel is not complete. Wang Dalei, Jin Jingdao and other six international players are with the national football team to fight in the World Preliminary Cup, the team's defense line is still okay, but the offensive line needs to be fully adjusted. The good thing is that Moises, who missed the first stage of the league, has returned to the team and appeared in the warm-up matches, making every effort to find the competitive state. With South Korea to participate in the Sun Jun Hao, in Europe to heal Fellaini has also returned, is undergoing isolation, isolation after the end of the meeting with the team. It is certain that the Taishan team will go all out in the AFC Cup to get the best result, but in the case of the overall strength due to the personnel incompleteness of the obvious decline, successfully defending the title is not an easy task.
Good news for Taishan is that the team is expected to return to Jinan Olympic Sports Center to kick off their AFC Cup campaign on their home turf. According to the New Yellow River reporter, although no official announcement has been made yet, four cities - Jinan, Changchun, Dalian and Meizhou - are likely to host this year's tournament before the AFC Cup final.
At present, it seems that Shanghai Shenhua and Changchun Yatai, who have relatively full staffs, are competitive in this year's F.A.C.A. Cup. Shenhua is not doing well in the league and is in the relegation group, so they need to get back their dignity through the AFC Cup. Yatai, with no players called up by the national soccer team and no foreigners leaving the team, is expected to make an all-out effort in the AFC Cup. The last time Taishan played at the Olympic Sports Center was back on November 27, 2019. In the 29th round of the 2019 Chinese Super League (CSL) season, Taishan defeated their opponents 3-1 amidst the cheering of their home fans.
It is reported that the 2021 CFA Cup schedule has been preliminarily determined, and according to the plan, the draw for the Cup will take place on September 29th. At that time, the complete schedule is expected to be revealed. Influenced by multiple elements, this year's AFC Cup may become one of the most suspenseful in recent years.
