The group stage of the AFC Champions League East Asia is coming to an end, and Shandong Taishan team, as the runner-up of the Chinese Super League, is expected to reach the top 8 and win glory for Chinese football. Their final opponent is Japan's J-League powerhouse Yokohama Marinos, and it will be a do-or-die battle to top the group. However, the Taishan team is very optimistic about qualifying, as long as they don't lose too badly, they can definitely qualify, and may even qualify as the group leader. This is Choi Kang-hee's team's big show in the AFC Champions League, and it is also a self-proof for them on the international stage.
The qualifying situation of the Taishan team.
In the first 5 rounds of Group G, the Taishan team achieved 4 wins and 1 loss, accumulating 12 points and ranking first in the group. They also had a goal difference of 10, the most in the group. Their opponents Incheon United and Yokohama Mariners both have just nine points, while Kaya is out of the loop. Therefore, as long as the Taishan team does not lose to the Yokohama Marins in the final round, they will be able to secure qualification, and if they draw, they can advance as group winners.
Even if the Tarzan team loses to the Yokohama Marinos, they have a good chance of qualifying, as their advantage in the small round robin is very clear. They have 6 points and a goal difference of +3 in the small round-robin, while Incheon United and Yokohama Mariners both have 3 points and a goal difference of -1 and -2 respectively. This means that as long as the Taishan team does not lose too badly, it will be able to beat the two opponents to qualify. Specifically, in the case of a loss by the Taishan team, a score of -6 and other scores can qualify, and only a score of 0-4 or greater will be eliminated. Such a probability is very small, and the Taishan team has no worries about qualifying.
Team Tarzan competes for the top spot.
Not only do the Tarzans want to qualify, but they also want to qualify as group winners, so they can avoid the top spots in the other groups in the knockout round, which will benefit their knockout path. To do that, the Tarzans only need to draw away at Yokohama Mariners to get there. This is not a difficult task, because the strength and form of the Taishan team are not inferior to the opponent, and they have a famous coach like Choi Kang-hee, his tactics and adjustments are in place, his team is also stable and united, and his players are also very confident and combative.
The Tarzan team also has good firepower in attack, their forwards Guedes and Fellaini are both top scorers in the AFC Champions League, their midfielders Wang Tong and Kim Jingdao are also at the top of the AFC Champions League assists list, and their wide and set-piece are also a lot of threats, and their goals are the most in the group at 14. The Tarzan team also had a good performance on the defensive end, their goalkeeper Wang Dalei and defender Gil are the main players of the national team, and their defence is also solid and coordinated, and they have conceded the fewest goals in the group, with only four. The Tarzans are excellent on both ends of the floor, they have a well-rounded and balanced quality, and they have the ability to challenge any opponent.
Good news for the Tarzan team.
There is also good news for the Tarzan team against Yokohama Mariners away from home, that is, the opponent's backline has as many as 5 defenders who cannot play, which is a very big advantage for the Tarzan team's attacking end. Three of Yokohama Marino's defenders are absent due to injury: centre-back Thiago Martins, left-back Ken Matsubara and right-back Yufei Fujisawa, all of whom are the team's main players, and their absence is a big blow to the team's defensive stability and coordination. In addition, there are two defenders who are suspended due to red cards, namely central defender Naoki Matsuda and right-back Takuya Hashimoto, who are both substitutes for the team, and their absence is also a big loss for the team's defensive depth and rotation.
As a result, there are only 3 available defenders left in the Yokohama Mariner backline, namely central defender Wataru Ito, left-back Yasuto Miyoshi and right-back Menezes, their strength and experience are not as good as the absent defenders, their coordination and tacit understanding are not enough, their defensive ability and confidence are also insufficient, their form and fitness are not good, and their performance and effectiveness are difficult to guarantee. This is a very good opportunity for the Tarzan team to take advantage of the opponent's defensive holes, launch a fierce attack, play wonderful goals, and deal a fatal blow to the opponent, so as to achieve a victory or a draw and achieve the goal of winning the group.
To sum up, Shandong Taishan team is very optimistic about qualifying for the AFC Champions League, as long as they don't lose too badly, they can qualify steadily, and may even advance as the first in the group. The good news for them away at Yokohama Mariners is that they have as many as five defenders unavailable at the back, which is a big advantage for them in attack. This is Choi Kang-hee's team's big show in the AFC Champions League, and it is also a self-proof for them on the international stage. We look forward to the Taishan team being able to play their best in this life-and-death battle, win glory for Chinese football, and bring joy to the fans. Come on, Tarzan!