Shandong Taishan's Liu Yang's performance has been controversial lately, as the local player, who has played alongside for the national team and the club for two consecutive seasons, was once the champion of attendance. But recently, he has not only lost his starting left back position in the national team, but also made frequent mistakes in the club. Especially in the match against Zhejiang, his reckless foul directly led to the loss of the ball. Faced with such a situation, Coach Choi Kang-hee began to try different defensive lineups, and the comeback of Wu Xinghan and Wang Tong brought new vitality to the team.
Against the backdrop of having foreign strikers, the need for homegrown centers seems to be diminishing. Zeca's long term injury has allowed Bizinho to get a lot of playing time and scored 3 goals in all competitions, which is not a bad performance. However, with Zeca's return, Bizinho's position is starting to falter, and he could face a possible departure next year. Taishan still has four AFC Champions League matches to play this year, and the team's goal is to at least make it out of the group. Without the distraction of the league, Coach Choi Kang-hee can focus on preparing for the AFC Champions League, and even if he can only command from the stands, he can still control the whole situation.
The return to form of midfielders Peng Xinli and Huang Zhengyu has been beneficial in adjusting the lineup for the AFC Champions League. Choi Kang-hee has been extremely cautious in his use of personnel, with Kressan's injury deterring him from making a rash start. The performance of the AFC Champions League group stage will have a direct impact on Coach Choi Kang-hee's contract renewal prospects. Substitutes such as Zhao Jianfei, He Xiaoke, Jia Feifan and Liu Shibo may get a chance to show their skills in the final round against Meizhou Hakka to develop young players. Taishan have plenty of time to recuperate and prepare for the away challenge against Pohang Ironmen. The tacit understanding of the foreign trident is getting better and better, and fans expect them to perform well in the AFC Champions League.
