FA Cup Preview: Shandong Taishan Needs Cup Success to Save Season, Henan Without League Pressure Aims for Upset

At 19:35 on August 21st, in the FA Cup quarterfinals, Shandong Taishan will host Henan. Both teams have no further ambitions in the Chinese Super League (CSL) and will thus focus their efforts on the FA Cup, hoping to advance further or even compete for the championship.

Currently, in the CSL, Shandong Taishan ranks 5th with 37 points from 10 wins, 7 draws, and 7 losses, trailing Beijing Guoan by 5 points, making it quite difficult to improve further; Henan is 8th with 31 points from 8 wins, 7 draws, and 9 losses, also having reached a state of contentment.

Shandong Taishan previously suffered three consecutive losses in the league but has shown significant improvement in recent games, advancing to the main stage of the AFC Champions League after defeating Bangkok United on penalties in the qualifying round, and securing a 3-0 victory over Chengdu Rongcheng in the CSL.

For Shandong Taishan, squad issues are a major concern, with top scorer Crescencio continuing to miss games due to injury; Zeka has recently resumed training with the team, but Choi Kang-hee is likely to give him more time to recover before playing him.

Shandong Taishan’s head coach Choi Kang-hee said, “The four-day game schedule is tough on the players, very demanding on the team’s physical strength. But we still need to maintain high concentration and strong fighting spirit as usual.”

Henan lost 0-2 at home against relegation-threatened Cangzhou Lions last weekend, ending their previous run of 4 wins and 2 draws.

Henan is also troubled by injuries, with key players such as Kovacevic, Maidana, and Xu Haofeng all sidelined due to injuries recently. Acheampong, who was suspended in the league, can play in this match, alleviating Henan’s immediate difficulties.

In the FA Cup quarterfinal draw, title favorites such as Shanghai Port, Shanghai Shenhua, and Beijing Guoan are all in the other half; the half containing Shandong Taishan and Henan is relatively weak overall. With no pressure from the league, both sides will naturally devote more energy to the FA Cup.

In past encounters, Shandong Taishan has a clear advantage with 21 wins, 8 draws, and 9 losses; when playing at home, Shandong Taishan has an overwhelming record of 13 wins, 4 draws, and 2 losses against Henan.

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