It wasn't until the 60th minute of overtime that the center back received his first card (for allegedly tugging on Lagustavo), a sight that mirrored the effectiveness of his tactical layout.
You need to look at yourself and seize every opportunity.
Of course, we can't blame the opponent for all the problems. In the face of the Pohang Ironmen's strategy of "attacking for defending" in the first half, the opponent's defense system might have been shattered if Shanghai Port could have seized a few good chances to break through the goal. Unfortunately, at least three good chances went down the drain, making the opponents more comfortable. They preferred this kind of intense physical confrontation, which angered Oscar.
Shanghai Port's key player was slightly out of his depth in this match, and his fatigue was evident from the moment he took the field. Oscar's stamina could have been sustained if the first half had come to an end. However, they unfortunately fell into a trap set by their opponents.
As Oscar was running out of steam, Shanghai Port's attack was mainly focused on midfield passes to Gustavo, relying on his perimeter breaks and reactions from the two-point position to create chances. But unfortunately, the inefficiency was deplorable.
Beyond the physicality, a major issue is the perception of the game by both sides. Pohang are used to the high intensity of the K-League; Harbor are not. In the Chinese Super League, such problems are not yet significant. Their overall strength is impeccable. Even if there are initial mistakes, they can adjust quickly. Not a big problem. But against Korean opponents, it was a stretch. A mistake is a mistake and doesn't allow much room for self-adjustment.
This undoubtedly exacerbated Oscar's fatigue. It can be seen that his control over the intensity and success rate of the game has morphed from the "top of the Chinese Super League" to the "top of the world".
Pohang surges to grab three points
In the second half, Pohang adapted to their rhythm and sensed the exhaustion of the harbor. They suddenly powered up and launched an onslaught of attacks, catching Muscat off guard. Almost pinned down, Pohang quickly found a breakthrough as Wanderson dominated consecutive chances that Shanghai Harbor could barely resist.
Pohang Ironmen's strategy is quite interesting, as they use a strong ball to look for the center forward and then create chances with their teammates, which is a common tactic of the physical teams. At the same time, their footwork was not bad either, capable of making wide moves or launching attacks at the right time. In this aspect, Shanghai Port was totally passive.
In addition, with Shanghai Port's physical strength dropping and the pressure easing, Pohang naturally played more comfortably.
After Ruiza's red card, the game was completely tilted in favor of Pohang, and Shanghai Port had no more chances to turn the game around.
