The FA Cup is in full swing, and the quarterfinals are in full swing at the Beijing Workers' Stadium, with Beijing Guoan and Shandong Taishan battling it out for a place in the quarterfinals. It is worth mentioning that both teams were once the dominant players in the AFC Cup, with Guoan winning four times and Taishan winning eight times. The crowd was enthusiastic, with as many as 50,000 fans flocking to witness the showdown, and referee Manning's decision was also in the spotlight.
Before the game, Guoan fans were confident that the team would advance to the quarterfinals, with the home field advantage and Manning's fair penalty being the two main reasons for their optimism. Shandong Taishan also knew that the game was going to be tough and they had to go all out. At the beginning of the game, Taishan showed a strong desire to attack. In the 10th minute, Zheng Zheng's free kick almost broke the goal, but fortunately, Guoan's goalkeeper reacted in time. Then, after a fine pass from Li Yuan, Chen Pu broke the goal with a header from a small angle, and Taishan took a 1-0 lead.
Not to be outdone, Guoan began a frantic counterattack. In the 19th minute, Zhang Xizhe's long pass accurately tore apart the Taishan defense, Kang Xiangyou quickly intervened, and Wang Dalei's mistake led to Guoan's 1-1 equalization. At the end of the first half, the two teams were tied.
In the second half, the game became even more intense as the physical confrontation between the two teams intensified. Referee Manning showed 14 yellow cards and 1 red card. Many fans expressed their dissatisfaction with the referee's decisions and felt that the game had lost its spectacle. Despite the fact that both teams had chances to score, the final score was still 1-1.
In the penalty shootout, both sides in the first four rounds of penalties, but Guoan's Jiang Xiangyou in the fifth round of mistakes, while Shandong Taishan's Fellaini firmly into the bottom of the net, and ultimately the Taishan team 6-5 to beat Guoan, and into the quarter-finals of the AFC Cup. After the match, Taishan goalkeeper Wang Dalei said the penalty kicks decided the winner, while the tears of Guoan players were a kind of catharsis for the defeat. Despite the dominance of Guoan, it is regrettable that they failed to enter the quarterfinals. Taishan, on the other hand, despite playing away from home and unfavorable refereeing decisions, managed to advance with excellent preparation and team effort.
At the beginning of the new season, Shandong Taishan went through a storm of coaching changes, Hao Wei was investigated for match-fixing, and the team's performance was in the doldrums. After Cui Kangxi's appointment, Shandong Taishan has been the favorite to win the title with consecutive victories. Although the team has been questioned for match-fixing this season and the referees have been unfavorable in their decisions, Taishan has managed to get through the difficult times with their winning culture. So, can Shandong Taishan win the AFC Cup? This is undoubtedly the question that all fans are concerned about.
