At night, Shanghai Harbour Team defeated Hebei by a narrow margin of 1-0 in the seventh round of the Chinese Super League (CSL) to maintain their lead in the Suzhou Division. Shanghai Harbour also tops the standings in both divisions.
Despite winning the match, Harbour only scored one goal in 180 minutes in the two matches since the restart of the Chinese Super League, and it was a penalty kick. With the loss of star center forward Arnautovic, Harbour's attacking power in front of goal has slipped significantly, a fact that cannot be ignored.
For this match, Harbour head coach Leko rotated only two players. One of them, forward Lu Wenjun, returned to the left wingback position, while Li Shenglong partnered with Lopez in the forward line. That seems to be all the team has on the offensive side of the ball, as the only player left on the bench is 18-year-old Jabo Diem.
However, although Lee Sheng Long's fighting spirit is worthy of recognition, it is difficult to compare his performance with that of Arnautovic. The decline of Harbor's forward line has become an indisputable fact.
Lopez's performance was even more disappointing, as his contribution to the offense was almost nil, except for two shots that hit the post. Whether it was breakaways or passes, he looked out of place in the team's overall system and was clearly incapable of playing in the No. 10 jersey he received from Hulk.
More worryingly, Lopez nearly allowed the visitors to equalize late in the game after two near-misses on passes as his team switched from defense to offense.
Seaports are in dire need of strengthening their midfield, so they may consider replacing Baitijiang; at the same time, strengthening their defense, the appearance of international player Li Ang may make a difference. Although the depth of the midfield bench is still good, the biggest dilemma of the Harbour Team is the lack of powerful foreign goal scorers after the front line weakness, which will undoubtedly directly affect the team's prospects of competing for the title in this season's Chinese Super League.
