Reporter Zhang Zisen.
At three o'clock in the afternoon on the fourth day of the Lunar New Year, the weather was as hot as late spring, and the parking lot and roadside of Jinan Olympic Sports were full of cars with license plates from all over the country, and the traffic police comrades were busy enough.
This is the first time that Shandong Taishan has played the first leg of the AFC Champions League quarterfinals during the Spring Festival since the professionalization of Chinese football. But this is not only an event for Shandong Taishan fans, because fans from Beijing, Xi'an, Hangzhou, Chengdu, Luohe and other places also came.
The five major leagues, except for the Premier League, will have a break period. First, they have to rush to buy New Year's goods, and secondly, the players rarely have a few days off throughout the year, and they also have to have a family reunion for the New Year. Premier League fans enjoy watching the game live during the holidays, so much so that every time the FA considers whether the Premier League should set up a break, it is always opposed by fans.
The schedule of the AFC Champions League was not set up for the New Year, and the Chinese Super League ended in November, and Chinese fans could only watch the game through live broadcast during the Spring Festival holiday. In the first two days, the five major leagues, including Manchester City, Barcelona and Sevilla, all showcased elements of the Chinese New Year: Grealish promoted Chinese food, the players' jackets were printed with "Congratulations to the New Year", and the dragon dance team was invited to half-time.
Chinese fans also booked high-speed rail tickets from all over the country to Jinan in advance to experience the game during the Spring Festival. Shandong Taishan faced Kawasaki Frontale at home, carrying the hopes of fans across the country to reach the quarterfinals.
Many bloggers live until five o'clock in the afternoon, which is considerable. At 5:15, the Taishan team entered the warm-up, and the team song also sounded, and when many fans sang along, the infectious force would make people get goosebumps. The presidents of the fan associations greeted fans from all over the country with their voices in their voices. They wore the jerseys of their respective teams, spotted with the orange team, and the atmosphere was happy, more like celebrating the New Year together.
In the past, fans prefer to watch the fire from the other side. But in the past few days, there are Beijing Guoan fans in the circle who said, "I'm wearing a Guoan scarf and sitting in Area 423 of the Jinan Olympic Sports Center, no problem, right?" The reply is also very touching: no problem, but if it is the Super League, there may be a "problem".
Simple Chinese fans are so simple and cute. Changchun Yatai's "Lao Tie" took a green car for 17 hours to cheer Shandong Taishan; Qingdao West Coast fans inquire about which subway to take to Luneng Stadium; Shaanxi fans asked ...... to eat the meat
After the national football team failed the World Cup and the Asian Cup, the club events became the best spiritual sustenance, and Shandong Taishan, the only seedling of the AFC Champions League, was unanimously shouted to cheer: this represents the image and honor of Chinese football! In addition, it is also tempting to stop by Jinan to have a little fun.
Shandong, a sage of mountains and rivers, has its own attraction of good people, good scenery and good things, and the official is also borrowing the AFC Champions League to lay eggs. At the press conference held in Jinan City a year ago, the official solemnly recommended the AFC Champions League battle, and hoped that fans from all over the country would come to Jinan to watch the game and experience the hospitality of Shandong. The effect is obvious, in the past two days, the three major scenic spots in Jinan are crowded, and they want to take a look at Baotu Spring to "pass the test".
At 18 o'clock, with the nine whistles exclusive to Shandong Taishan and the orange ribbon thrown, the game officially began. The Olympic stadium is rarely full for so many years, but it is difficult to cover every corner of the stadium with bulk cheering. The opponent Kawasaki Frontale had already prepared, they rushed to Jinan on the first day of the Lunar New Year, and after training, they also performed an authentic dragon dance at the entrance of the hotel, and went shopping in the mall.
Compared to Tarzan's last opponent, Yokohama Marino, Kawasaki Frontale finished eighth in the J-League last season, attacking well but defensively terrible. This team has cultivated well-known players in Europe such as Kaoru Mikasa, Itakura Tsugu, Tanaka Bi, Flag Bearer Reio, and Hidemasa Morita, but now the strength is not as good as before, and it is not as good as Yokohama Mariners in all aspects.
This is also the reason why fans have high hopes for the Tarzan team. Although new striker Zeka was injured, the arrival of Kazaishvili and several domestic reinforcements, fans believe that Shandong has the strength to win. They will quickly forget the "pain" that football brings to them and enjoy the fun of the moment. For example, Wu Xinghan's cheers for the first time were second only to Cressan and Wang Dalei.
The foundation of Chinese football lies in the fans, and if everyone can keep their feet on the ground, the miracle of Jordan may not be ours.
Four chances failed to capitalize on the team's disadvantage in defensive details and offensive efficiency, and soon put the team behind by two goals. The fans at the scene maintained sufficient self-restraint and restraint, even if Cressan lost the ball due to stickiness, Wu Xinghan repeatedly indecisive and delayed the fighter.
In the second half, Choi Kang-hee corrected himself, and Fernando came on as a substitute for ten minutes to pull a goal back. The atmosphere of Luneng Stadium was ignited instantly, and the little fans jumped and jumped in the stands. Then the Taishan team got a succession of good opportunities, and the opponent went in again and pulled a goal back, and the ups and downs of emotional fluctuations made the fans cry hoarse.
The score was finally fixed at 2:3, and the thinly dressed fans felt cold after the game, but this is not unacceptable, especially during the Chinese New Year. A week later, the two sides will play the second leg, and I hope that Shandong Taishan, who still has hope, can let fans eat the Lantern Festival in advance and live up to the attention of today's national fans.