Shanghai Seaport didn't have a full strength team in this game, the top scorer of the national football team Wu Lei, the core of the solid defense Zhang Linmiao and the foreign star Chitadini were out of the game due to injuries and illnesses. Even so, they still won the Chinese Super League Golden Boot Award with 34 goals.
For the away match against Ulsan HD, Shanghai Seaport's starting lineup and the distribution of seats on the bench were as follows: goalkeeper 1 Yan Junling, defenders 2 Li Ang, 4 Wang Shenchao, 13 Wei Zhen, and 20 Yang Shiyuan, midfielder 32 Li Shuai, strikers 8 Oscar (F), and 10 Vargas (F), as well as substitutes 9 Gustavo (F), who replaced in the 68th minute, and 36th-minute substitutes (19-Wang Zhenao) and 30-William Pope (F). The substitutes also included 12-Chen Wei, 25-Dujia, 6-Cai Huikang, 23-Fu Huan, 31-Bao Shimeng, 33-Liu Zhurun, 37-Chen Xu Huang and 45-Liu Xiaolong.
Former English Premier League Chelsea star Oscar was crowned the Chinese Super League's assist leader with 20 assists, and contributed three key assists in the game. Argentine striker Vargas, who used to play in Spain's La Liga, scored twice to give Shanghai Seaport a two-goal lead early in the game. Despite a 1-2 tie in the second half, Shanghai Seaport sealed a 3-1 victory.
After this victory, Shanghai Harbour moved up to eighth place in the AFC Elite League's East Asia Division, equal on points with Johor Bahru, Shanghai Shenhua and Shandong Taishan, who are now in a key position for promotion and relegation.
Meanwhile, Gwangju FC is in relegation trouble in the Korean K-League, but has shown strength in the AFC Elite League. In the final round, substitute and only foreign player Asani helped Gwangju FC beat Shanghai Shenhua 1-0 with a winning goal, finishing second with 12 points. If they can continue this trend, Gwangju FC may lock the qualification for the knockout stage in advance.
Of note, Shanghai Seaport's Wu Lei, Zhang Linmiao and Chitadini will continue to miss out due to injuries, while Li Ang is suspended for a red card. In Gwangju, Asani and Mikel Tazer did not accompany the team to Shanghai.
Against this backdrop, who will have the last laugh in this matchup between Gwangju FC and Shanghai Seaport? The suspense is yet to be solved.
