86 years ago, there was a tragic massacre in Nanjing, and more than 300,000 compatriots were tragically attacked by the Japanese invasion of China, and this scar can never be healed. This year, December 13 marks the 10th National Memorial Day, and we need to remember history and remember those innocent lives. In the AFC Champions League, Shandong Taishan played away against Yokohama Mariners, which was the National Memorial Day. In the past few seasons, due to various reasons, it has become more difficult for Chinese Super League teams to send second-tier teams to participate in the AFC Champions League. And this year, the Chinese Super League can finally send the main team to participate in the AFC Champions League, but the overall performance is quite dismal. Shanghai Port lost to Pathum United of Thailand in the play-offs at home and missed out on the AFC Champions League. And what about the strength of Pathum United? They lost all six games in the group stage and became the belly of the AFC Champions League. Wuhan Three Towns have been inconsistent in the Chinese Super League, not to mention the AFC Champions League, having been defeated by their opponents many times and finally exiting the bottom with 5 points. Zhejiang were placed in a weaker group, but their backline was too weak, losing away to Buriram United and Kofu Fenglin, and ended up third in the group with seven points. And the first place in this group is the Japanese J2 team Kofu Kazurin, which also reflects the strength of Japanese football from the side.
Shandong Taishan, under the leadership of South Korean coach Choi Kang-hee, has performed quite steadily in the AFC Champions League. In the first five rounds, they beat Kaya twice in a row, and also beat South Korean side Incheon United twice, only to lose at home to Yokohama Marino. This result allows Shandong Taishan to be the first in the group as long as they are undefeated in the final round, and even rank first in the group if they lose less than two goals, and they will only be eliminated if they lose three goals or more. This peculiar situation is due to the AFC Champions League's ranking rules, where teams with the same number of points are first compared to each other, then goal difference, and finally goals. In the final round, if Yokohama Mariner defeats Shandong Taishan at home and Incheon United defeats Kaya, then Yokohama Mariner, Shandong Taishan and Incheon United will accumulate 12 points at the same time, and the relationship between winners and losers is the same. In this case, the ranking can only be determined by comparing the goal difference. The AFC Champions League is fiercely competitive, with every team fighting for the win. Will Shandong Taishan be able to stabilize their position in this crucial game, win and enter the next round? We'll see. Whatever the outcome, this match is something to look forward to because it's more than just a football game, it's an interweaving of history and emotion.
Let us remember history, cherish peace, and hope that there will be no recurrence of tragedies like Nanjing. Shandong Luneng suffered another embarrassing defeat in the AFC Champions League, losing 0-3 away to Yokohama Marinos. The result of this game made the qualification situation very tense, and a last-minute chance allowed them to qualify as second in the group. However, the defeat in this game is once again reminiscent of Shandong Luneng's frequent big defeats in the AFC Champions League in the past, especially against South Korean teams. This also made the team nicknamed the "AFC Champions League ** team". In the hearts of fans, the Shandong Taishan team should have the ability to break this embarrassment, especially under the leadership of Cui Kangxi. However, the result was so embarrassing, they lost 3-0 away and had to go by little to finish second in their group. If it weren't for Yokohama Marino's late one-on-one miss, the result could have been even worse, and they could have been eliminated with a score of 0-4. Of course, we can find some reasons to explain the loss of this game.
For example, there is a big gap in the strength of football between China and Japan, and the Shandong Taishan team is not as good as its opponent; For another example, two foreign aides of Shandong Taishan team left the team, while the opponent had 5 foreign aids, and all three goals were scored by foreign aids; For example, Shandong Taishan did not play a dozen days before the game, which may have affected their fitness and condition. However, there is no point in saying this. On today's special day, Shandong Taishan not only lost to the Japanese team, but also lost by a large score, which is a humiliating performance! This defeat makes us wonder why Shandong Taishan always suffers such embarrassing defeats in the AFC Champions League. What exactly are they missing that prevents them from doing well in the AFC Champions League? Perhaps we can learn something from the success of other teams. For example, we can look at the performance of Guangzhou Evergrande in the AFC Champions League. They have won the AFC Champions League many times and have become the pride of Chinese football. Their success would not have been possible without a strong team, a stable squad, and a good coach. They have shown unparalleled strength and courage in the AFC Champions League, which has also set an example for Chinese football. Perhaps the Shandong Taishan team can learn something from the Guangzhou Evergrande team.
They need to build a stable squad and develop more good players, but also strengthen the cooperation with foreign players. In addition, they need a coach who can lead the team to perform well. Only then will they be able to achieve better results in the AFC Champions League. In short, on today's special day, the loss of Shandong Taishan team made fans feel very disappointed and embarrassed. However, we should not just dwell on failure, but should learn from it, find the problem, and work to improve. I believe that in the future games, Shandong Taishan team will be able to find their glory and become the pride of Chinese football again!