Special correspondent Gan Hui penned a thrilling contest between Shenhua and Qingdao Hainiu. It wasn't until the 87th minute that Shanghai Shenhua broke the deadlock with a pinpoint shot that nearly extended the deficit in the standings.
On the sidelines, Coach Slutsky's anxiety spilled over. He paced back and forth, rubbing his scalp from time to time, his nervousness exposed.
On the night of May 15th, Shenhua fans never expected that they would face such a difficult challenge against Qingdao Hainiu, who are in the relegation zone. The historic 1,500th goal came in such a twisted way. However, Shenhua scored a total of 25 goals in the first 10 rounds of matches, making them the firepower of the Chinese Super League.
Fortunately, in the face of adversity, Shenhua's entire team did not give up. Jiang Shenglong and Ma Lailai scored two goals in the closing stages of the game to secure a 2-0 home win over Qingdao Hainiu and continue to stay ahead of the game, boasting a record of 9 wins and 3 draws in 12 matches.
In the 88th minute, Manafa crossed the ball from the right road, Mou Pengfei had a fierce collision with the defense players, and Jiang Shenglong broke the goal with a precise cushion shot with his left foot in the penalty area. Shanghai Stadium erupted in cheers, the tension that had been suppressed for 88 minutes was finally released. This is the goal that Shenhua fans and players have been waiting for 88 minutes, and it is also the 1,500th goal in Shenhua's history.
After the game, Jiang Shenglong said, "Our coaches and players held on until the end because we are at home and we must not let our opponents score easily. We have to win this victory."
In this match, Shenhua faced the weaker Qingdao Hainiu, but the opponent's defense is not weak. Main center backs Liu Junshuai and Milovic were out due to injuries, and main right back Li Hailong was suspended with a red card, making the team's lineup stretched to the limit. However, Shenhua gradually found a rhythm in the transition between offense and defense with their tenacious fighting spirit.
Shenhua nearly conceded a goal in the 75th minute due to a mistake. Bao Yaxiong's direct pass was cut off by Wang Jianming, who sent an open goal. Fortunately, Jiang Shenglong returned to the defense in time and managed to defuse the crisis. Jiang Shenglong said, "As a defender, I won't let the opponent score easily. Someone always makes mistakes in defense, but we will make up for it in time."
After successfully saving the dangerous ball, Jiang Shenglong scored again in the last minute of the game to help his team seal the victory. Coach Slutsky spoke highly of Jiang Shenglong's performance and considered him the hero of the game. "I think Jiang Shenglong was the hero of the day. He made a key clearance in front of the goal and the crucial first goal. I think he should be the best player today."
Coach Slutsky mentioned several times how to break through the opponent's dense defense in his post-game summary. "Breaking through a dense defense is a difficult problem in soccer, but I'm glad the players didn't give up in the face of difficulties. They fought until the last moment and finally scored."
Shenhua has been performing well this season, and more and more teams are adopting the strategy of intensive defense when facing Shenhua. However, lacking the tandem of foreigners Teixeira and Amadou, Shenhua encountered difficulties in breaking the intensive defense. Coach Slutsky said, "Facing the opponent's intensive defense, we will choose side passes to take advantage of the height of the center forward. At the same time, we will also consider passes and transfers from players in the middle, as well as penetration passes. Today's No. 10 player, Xie Pengfei, was particularly good on the wing."
As a matter of fact, positional ball is also an effective means to break the intensive defense. In this game, Shenhua won as many as 10 corner kicks, but the cooperation was not successful and failed to pose a threat to the opponent. Shenhua has many players with excellent footwork, such as Xie Pengfei and Xu Hao Yang, who can play a bigger role in set piece tactics.
Currently, Shenhua has played 12 rounds of league games, and Coach Slutsky has basically kept his starting lineup stable. However, after consecutive battles, the stamina of individual starters has shown red light, affecting their competitive status. How to reasonably allocate the lineup and make full use of the bench players is the key for the team to maintain the continuous fighting power.
The most important thing for Shenhua now is to play the last two games before the league break. Next week, Shenhua will challenge Henan and Shenzhen Xinpengcheng on the road consecutively. Although the opponents are not strong, Shenhua must go all out in order to create another miracle in the May 15 match.
