On the evening of March 6, the first match of the quarterfinals of the AFC Champions League was played between Shandong Taishan and Yokohama Mariners. Just seven minutes into the opening period, Lopes gave Yokohama Mariners the lead. However, in the 20th minute, a handball in the box by Yokohama Mariner was not awarded by the referee. In the 27th minute, Shi Ke's strain created a good chance for Yokohama Marino, but Wang Dalei blocked Jan Mateus' shot at a crucial moment. Subsequently, Shi Ke was replaced by Huang Zhengyu.
In the second half, Pato's shot hit the post, allowing Shandong Taishan to miss a good chance. In the 69th minute, Mateus scored another goal for Yokohama Marino. It wasn't until the 90th minute that Chen Pu pulled one back for Shandong Taishan. In the end, despite Cressan's failure to appear, Shandong Taishan lost 1-2 at home to Yokohama Mariners and suffered three kills from their opponents. The second leg of the clash between the two teams will be played again at 6 p.m. on March 13.
Shandong Taishan's performance in the first ten minutes of the first half was indeed unsatisfactory. Shi Ke's pass seemed absent-minded and almost caused the team to lose points early, but fortunately, Wang Dalei reacted quickly and resolved the crisis. However, the good times did not last long, and in the face of the fierce attack of the opponent, Shandong Taishan's back line seemed to be powerless and finally lost. Although Shandong Taishan stepped up their attack and created some scoring opportunities after conceding the goal, the team seemed to lack the finishing touch to convert them into goals.
Heading into the second half, the home team went all out to attack, but the away team scored again. In the unfavorable situation of falling behind 0-2, in the 90th minute of the game, Chen Pu showed excellent skills in the penalty area, volleyed side kicks, and finally saved face for the team. Throughout the game, Shandong Taishan showed ups and downs at both ends of the offensive and defensive ends, but in the end they still failed to reverse the defeat.
The first game has ended, and although it is a pity that the Taishan team lost, the fighting spirit they showed was admirable. Cressan's absence and Shi Ke's injury and retirement undoubtedly increased the difficulty, but in the unfavorable situation of falling behind 0-2, the Taishan team stubbornly pulled back a city, demonstrating their tenacity and perseverance.
From a positive point of view, even in the face of many difficulties, the Taishan team can still fight the opponent to 1-2, which may indicate that there is a possibility of a comeback in the second leg, and the future is still full of infinite possibilities. Shandong Taishan 1-2 Yokohama Mariners