Former Cup Kings Miss FA Cup Semifinals Again — The 'AFC Champions League Dream' Drifts Further Away

22-year-old Yu Jinyong kept shouting encouragement toward his teammates, but he could not secure a victory together with these familiar companions. On the night of September 1, Shandong Taishan faced Shanghai Port in the 2026 FA Cup quarterfinal at Jinan Olympic Sports Center. In the end, Taishan, playing at home, conceded two goals in the first half and another in the second half, suffering a 0-3 defeat and missing out on the FA Cup semifinals. With their FA Cup run ending this season, Taishan also officially lost the chance to compete in next season's AFC Champions League Elite competition.

At the pre-match press conference, Taishan interim head coach Tang Tian said the team was prepared to face difficulties and that someone needed to give everything to lead the teammates into the semifinals.

Against this backdrop, Tang Tian left Vako out of the starting lineup. Cryzan and Zeca formed the attacking partnership, Yimulan, Madluga and Huang Zhengyu made up the midfield trio, Liu Yang and Xie Wenneng played as wing-backs, Alvaro, Gao Zhunyi and Yang Ruiqi formed the defensive line, and Yu Jinyong remained the starting goalkeeper.

This was the second meeting between the two teams in the past month. On August 1, Taishan, who had just changed coaches, defeated the opponent 1-0 away in the league, giving Tang Tian a winning start after taking charge. Perhaps because of that previous experience, Shanghai Port showed no reservations in this away match, choosing an aggressive high press from the opening stages and repeatedly threatening Taishan's defensive structure.

In terms of formation design, both teams used a three-center-back system, but Shanghai Port's execution in the first half was clearly better. On one hand, this was because full-backs Li Shuai and Yang Xi effectively stretched the width of the formation, while Taishan failed to apply enough defensive pressure on them. On the other hand, the midfield combination of Melendo, Vitor and Claude had superior overall ability and was consistently able to push the formation forward through quick passing.

In the 18th minute, Shanghai Port took the lead. Vitor's through pass split Taishan's defense, and Yang Xi assisted Liu Zhurun for the goal. Four minutes later, Taishan suffered another blow as Leonardo successfully moved the ball from the edge of the penalty area to the flank, where Anpum finished with a low shot into the near corner. Taishan, two goals behind, failed to quickly return to their normal state. Yu Jinyong continued calling on his teammates to regroup, and Tang Tian replaced Yimulan with Vako in the 30th minute, but the difficult situation did not improve, with the score remaining 0-2 at halftime.

After the restart, Tang Tian continued making adjustments. Li Yuanyi, who had returned in the previous round, replaced Yang Ruiqi, and Taishan switched from three center-backs to a four-man defense. In the 57th minute, an error occurred during Taishan's substitution. Buy Wulang was supposed to replace Xie Wen, but the fourth official mistakenly identified Alvaro instead. Only after referee Ma Ning intervened was the substitution corrected. At the same time, Li Xiaoheng replaced Huang Zhengyu, further highlighting Tang Tian's intention to strengthen the attack. In the 70th minute, Tang Tian used his final substitution opportunity, with Chen Pu replacing the injured Zeca.

However, the series of substitutions did not help Taishan score. In the 78th minute, Taishan's defense was breached again. Li Xinxiang sent a diagonal pass into the center of the penalty area, and Yang Xi followed up to score easily, putting Taishan 0-3 behind. The overall outcome of the match was effectively decided at that point.

The following more than 10 minutes were more like an ordeal for Taishan. With a large deficit, the players appeared unable to maintain their pressing efforts, while Shanghai Port firmly controlled the pace of the match. Finally, after Ma Ning's final whistle, the former Cup kings once again exited the FA Cup early at a familiar venue. However, they had gone further than they did last season.

The autumn night had arrived, bringing a chilly atmosphere. With the FA Cup title becoming only a fantasy, Taishan's dream of returning to next season's AFC Champions League Elite competition was also shattered. Their remaining pursuit is to earn a place in next season's AFC Champions League Two through their league performance, though that target will also be difficult to achieve.

Before looking ahead, Taishan perhaps need to conduct a comprehensive review of themselves. Can the current squad configuration support their ambitious goals? Can a complete optimization of tactics and technical approaches be achieved? These questions seem more important than a slogan or a target.

Reporter: Hou Chao Editor: Li Fujie Photographer: Guo Yao Proofreader: Li Li