On July 18, 2021, Shandong Taishan and Guangzhou City met in the 6th round of the Chinese Super League in Guangzhou. Both sides failed to break the deadlock in the 90-minute match and finally shook hands with a score of 0-0. After this match, Taishan continues to maintain the leading position in the Guangzhou League table, while Guangzhou City suffers from three consecutive rounds without a win.
Guangzhou City suffered a home suppression with the help of four foreign aiders
Although Shandong Taishan was nominally "home", the match was actually played in Guangzhou under the conference system, so Guangzhou City enjoyed the advantage of being "home". With a high temperature of 36 degrees and a humidity of 68%, the climate was undoubtedly more challenging for the Taishan team from the north, while Guangzhou City was more adapted to this environment.
In addition to the home advantage, Guangzhou City has four foreigners, with Dembele, Guilherme, Thiago and Caldona all playing, except for Svensson, who has just returned. In contrast, Taishan lacked two Brazilian foreigners, Guedes and Moises. Guangzhou City's three foreign aiders started the game, but did not fully show their individual characteristics.
Throughout the game, Taishan took the initiative practically. If not for bad luck, Taishan had a chance to win three points. Nevertheless, Guangzhou City was able to get a point in such a passive situation, and head coach Van Garst said he was quite satisfied. However, Guangzhou City's situation is not optimistic with two draws and one loss in their last three matches.
Han Jiaqi's repeated saves prevented Taishan from attacking wildly.
Although Taishan's offense was fierce in this game, Guangzhou City's U23 goalkeeper Han Jiaqi played heroically. Except for a mistake in the first 30 seconds, Han Jiaqi played perfectly throughout the game. In the first half, Xu Xin, Wu Xinghan and Guo Tianyu's shots were all deflected by him. In the second half, although Han Jiaqi failed to parry Fellaini's header, his interference caused Fellaini's header to go wide of the target.
Han Jiaqi played a great game to keep the city goal intact. This is a great success for Guangzhou City, at least in defense, and adds confidence to the team for the next game. 22-year-old Han Jiaqi is a prominent U23 goalkeeper, and his performance in this game has gained him more attention.
Canton City faces life and death test in next week's doubleheader
Next week, Guangzhou City will welcome two key matches between Henan Songshan Longmen and Guangzhou. Henan is in good form while Guangzhou is not to be underestimated. The results of these two matches will have a significant impact on Guangzhou City's prospects. If they can get at least one win, Guangzhou City's chances of entering the top four will be greatly increased.
