Shandong Taishan's Liu Yang has had a worrying run of form recently, having been a regular in the homegrown ranks but gradually showing his shortcomings as a result of his frequent appearances in two consecutive seasons. Recently, he has not only failed to keep his place as the national team's starting left back, but has also made a lot of mistakes at club level. In a match against Zhejiang, one of his reckless fouls directly led to a goal being conceded. Manager Choi Kang-hee has begun experimenting with new combinations at the back, with Wu Xinghan playing particularly well at left back and Wang Tong's comeback bringing new energy to the team.
With a lineup that boasts foreign strikers, the need for a homegrown center forward seems less obvious. Zeca's long term injury has allowed Bizinho to get a lot of chances and scored 3 goals in various matches, which is not a bad performance. But with Zeca back and in good form, Bizinho's position is gradually threatened, and he may leave the team next year. Taishan has four more AFC Champions League matches to go this year, and the team's goal is to at least make it out of the group. The gap in the league allows Choi Kang-hee to focus on preparing for the AFC Champions League, and even if he can only command from the sidelines, he can still control the whole situation.
A goal in the net by midfielder Peng Xinli and a pinpoint assist by Huang Zhengyu injected new energy into the team, which will be beneficial for the lineup adjustment in the AFC Champions League. Choi Kang-hee has been quite cautious in his selection, with Cressan not making his debut due to injury and not needing to go all out in the league stage. The AFC Champions League group stage will have a direct bearing on head coach Choi Kang-hee's contract renewal prospects. Players with fewer appearances such as Zhao Jianfei, He Xiaoke, Jia Feifan and Liu Shibo are expected to be given a chance to perform in the final round against Meizhou Hakka to work on the younger players. Taishan has enough time to rest and prepare for the away challenge against Pohang Tiejin, and the tacit understanding of the foreign trident is gradually emerging, expecting them to make a difference in the AFC Champions League.
