Shandong Taishan defeated Chengdu Rongcheng 1-0 in the Chinese Football Association (CFA) Cup semifinals in Jinan, Shandong Province, on Tuesday, advancing to the tournament's final for the seventh straight time.
The game's pivotal moments unfolded in the closing minutes. In the 87th minute, Chengdu's Hu Hetao passed to Manuel Palacios, whose close-range shot was blocked by Shandong goalkeeper Wang Dalei.
Just three minutes later, Valeri Qazaishvili's cross from the left found its way into the box untouched, despite the crowded area. The ball fell to Shandong's Zheng Zheng, who was positioned next to the net, and he calmly scored his first goal since October 18, 2021, securing the victory for his team.
This win marked Taishan's third consecutive triumph against Rongcheng this season, maintaining a clean sheet each time. With eight Chinese FA Cup titles, Shandong holds the record for the most victories among all clubs. They enjoyed a three-year winning streak from 2019 to 2022 but were dethroned by Shanghai Shenhua in last season's final.
In the upcoming final, Shandong will face the winner of the semifinal match between Shanghai Shenhua and Shanghai Port. The two Shanghai teams are set to clash on Wednesday night at Port's home stadium in the other semifinal contest.
Currently, Port leads the Chinese Super League with 69 points after 26 games, two points ahead of second-placed Shenhua. However, Shenhua remains unbeaten with two wins and a draw in their last three meetings with Port. Additionally, they've demonstrated remarkable resilience by overcoming deficits to win each of their past three games.
Reference(s):
Shandong look to extend Chinese FA Cup dominance after reaching final
cgtn.com
