Meizhou Hakka hosted Shanghai Seaport in the 7th round of China's top soccer league.
At the beginning of the match, Meizhou Hakka frequently attacked Shanghai Seaport's defense line with the advantage of home field. However, the backline of Shanghai Seaport was like a brick wall, which made Meizhou Hakka's attacks repeatedly failed. At the same time, Shanghai Seaport also actively launched counterattacks, constantly looking for opportunities to break through the goal.
The deadlock was finally broken in the 54th minute. Chitardini took a pass from a teammate in the penalty area, deftly escaped from a defender and fired a powerful shot into the goal, opening the first record for Shanghai Seaport. The goal instantly ignited the enthusiasm of the whole stadium, and the fans cheered and applauded for the team they supported. However, after the goal, VAR technology intervened to check and after 6 minutes of careful review, referee Ren Tong confirmed that the goal was valid, giving Shanghai Seaport a 1-0 lead.
Trailing, Meizhou Hakka did not give up as they continued to intensify their offense in an attempt to equalize the score. However, in the 67th minute, Shanghai Harbor extended their lead again. Wu Lei received a precise pass from his teammates in the penalty area and jumped up to head the ball into the net, giving Shanghai Seaport a 2-0 lead. Wu Lei's goal undoubtedly brought more pressure on Meizhou Hakka.
As the game progressed, Meizhou Hakka's players began to look a bit impatient. In the 72nd minute, a controversial call occurred on the field. Ye Chugui was fouled for kicking in a scramble, yet the referee mistakenly gave Shi Liang a second yellow card and sent him off the field. Fortunately, after a VAR review, the referee corrected the error in time and sent Ye Chugui off with two yellows to one red, restoring fairness to the game.
Despite their numerical disadvantage, Meizhou Hakka did not give up their efforts to catch up with the score. In the 84th minute, Kosovic showed his outstanding individual ability, he shot sideways in the box and the ball hung in the corner of the net, equalizing a goal for Meizhou Hakka. However, this did not change the final result of the match.
With the final whistle blowing, Shanghai Seaport successfully locked up the halfway point of the Chinese Super League title with a 2-1 victory over ten-man Meizhou Hakka on the road.
