On the night of the Super Cup, Hongkou once again fell into glory
A moment of suspense: in the 55th minute, a corner kick.
In 2024, the first big game of the Chinese Football League will be played at the Hongkou Football Stadium in Shanghai, with last season's Chinese Super League champions Shanghai Port taking on FA Cup winners Shanghai Shenhua. The game ended in a 1-0 win for Shenhua against Harbour, with Malele breaking the deadlock with a 55th-minute corner kick to give Shenhua a fourth Super Cup title. However, this is not just a game, it is a continuation of the glorious history of Hongkou Football Stadium, a return to football tradition.
The Legend of Hongkou: Historical Advantages and the Transition of the Old and the New.
This match is the sixth time that Hongkou Football Stadium has witnessed the birth of the Super Cup champion, and the historical record of 18 Super Cups shows that the generally more favored league champions have only been crowned on this stage 10 times, while the FA Cup champions have as many as 8 counterattacks. This is also the first official match at Hongkou Football Stadium after 1,543 days, and this stadium has witnessed Shenhua's journey to participate in the Super Cup five times in history. Shenhua won the Super Cup in the early 90s, but stopped in the 2004 final. In 2018, Shenhua, who returned to the Super Cup stage after 14 years, suffered another defeat. However, the journey of football is like a melody, with highs and lows, and Hongkou Football Stadium is a witness in this historical melody, recording the glory and twists and turns of Shenhua.
Return to Hongkou: Familiarity and Fresh Changes.
Although the home stadium of Shenhua Club has been changed to Shanghai Stadium, returning to Hongkou is still a familiar and exciting experience for the team. Here, the mobile phones of the old journalists can be directly connected to the wifi of the press center, as if they have stepped back in time. Walking into Hongkou, Shenhua coach Zhu Chenjie was full of emotion: "Returning to Hongkou is also very familiar to us, and we will achieve a good result through our continuous struggle and struggle on the field." "This feeling of return is both familiar and uncertain.
Glory and Regret: The History of the Shenhua Super Cup.
Shenhua's glorious history in the Super Cup began as early as 1995, when Shenhua, as a champion of the A, defeated Shandong Taishan 1-0 and was crowned the "Super Cup" for the first time. Then in 1999 and 2002, they defeated Dalian Wanda and Shide twice in a row, 3-0 and 3-1, and won all of the first three Super Cups, with a winning rate of 100%. However, in 2004, Shenhua's record of winning all the finals came to an abrupt end, and Shenhua finally lost 3-4 against Beijing Guoan. In 2018, Shanghai Shenhua once again stepped on the stage of the Super Cup, but faced Guangzhou Evergrande, but lost 1-4. The alternation of history and the ups and downs of the record have made the Super Cup a glorious and unattainable trophy in Shenhua's journey.
Hongkou Derby: The journey of the seaport nouveau riche.
Compared with Shenhua's glorious Super Cup history, Shanghai Port, as an upstart in the Chinese Super League, obviously has a shorter history. It was only in 2019 that they tasted the Super Cup for the first time by beating Beijing Guoan 2-0 at the Suzhou Olympic Center. In this game, affected by the injury crisis, the new coach of the Harbour team, Muscat, faced many lineup adjustments. However, in this derby full of confrontation and suspense, both sides showed tenacious fighting spirit to make the game even more exciting.
Tactical matchup: Slutsky's game with Muscat.
In the game, Shenhua coach Slutsky continued the usual 4-3-1-2 system, while Harbour new coach Muscat adopted a 4-3-3 formation. The comparison of the lineups of the two sides is not only a contest of player strength, but also a collision of tactical concepts. And in this suspenseful game, the wisdom and scheduling skills of the two coaches became the key to the decisive victory.
Moments in the 55th minute: Malele's stunner.
In the 55th minute of the game, Shenhua got a corner kick opportunity, which became the turning point of the whole game. After the corner, Yan Junling blocked the ball, but Malele refracted the ball into the net with a little luck in the scuffle to give Shenhua a 1-0 lead. This moment is not only Malele's personal bravery, but also a symbol of the hard work of the whole team, adding a rich historical picture to the Hongkou Football Stadium.
Derby heat: Intense scramble and dramatic scenes.
Throughout the game, the two sides fought fiercely, with fouls and yellow cards frequent, which further highlighted the feeling of the derby. The confrontation between Teixeira and Rusa, Wu Lei's single chance, and the field and off the court were full of tension and passion. The drama of the game was that Joussa was sent off for an elbow, while Malele's other goal was disallowed for offside. This derby is not only a contest of ball skills, but also a game of team fighting spirit.
The final whistle: the ownership of the Super Cup.
In the end, Harbour failed to equalise after 30 minutes of hard play, and Shenhua managed to hold on to a 1-0 lead. The ownership of the Super Cup has become a new chapter in Hongkou Football Stadium and has also brought joy to Shenhua fans. In this game, Hongkou Football Stadium witnessed the intersection of history and witnessed Shenhua's courage and persistence.
Reflection and outlook: The beauty of football lies in variability.
Super Cup night is not only a game, but also an interpretation of the spirit of football. The return of history, the continuation of tradition, every moment is precious. Hongkou Football Stadium, as a witness to this legend, records the glory and regret of Shenhua. The Super Cup has become a stage created by players, coaches and fans, carrying dreams and sweat. On the stage of the beauty of football, there are always variables, and it is this unknown that makes football so fascinating.
On the night of the Super Cup, Hongkou once again descended to glory, and every moment was solidified into an eternal memory. The beauty of football lies in its variables, and Hongkou Football Stadium is the shining star in this variable. Let's look forward to the future and look forward to more legends being born in this hot land.