Xinhua News Agency, Nanjing, January 11 (Reporter Wang Hengzhi) The 2022 Chinese Football Association Cup ended the semi-final competition in Suzhou, Jiangsu on the 11th. Shandong Taishan team and Zhejiang team defeated their respective opponents and entered the final.
As the team with the most championships in the history of the FA Cup, the Shandong Taishan team defeated the Shanghai Shenhua team 2:0 and reached the FA Cup final for the fifth consecutive year.
In this semi-final, the Shanghai Shenhua team, which sent many young players to start, showed a very tenacious fighting spirit and combat effectiveness. U23 player Zhou Junchen hit a crossbar in the first half, almost helping Shenhua take the lead.
Although the situation was dominant, it was not until the 77th minute that Song Long broke the deadlock for the Shandong Taishan team, and Moises scored a penalty at the last moment to seal the victory.
In the 79th minute, Shandong's foreign aid Kressan overthrew his opponent and was sent off with a direct red card. He will miss the final.
The other semi-final was decided by a penalty shootout.
Shanghai Seaport team and Zhejiang team scored a goalless draw within 90 minutes. In the penalty shootout, Lu Wenjun, who played for the first time in Shanghai Seaport, hit the goal frame, and Zhejiang team scored all five penalty kicks; with the fifth foreign aid Mu Xiekui Scoring a penalty kick, the Zhejiang team won 5:3 and entered the FA Cup final for the first time in team history.
Although the Shanghai Seaport team lost, but because the two teams that entered the final were both in the top three in the Chinese Super League, they also qualified for the AFC Champions League qualifiers, ranking fourth.
The Zhejiang team performed well this season. In the league, they beat the Shanghai Seaport team to rank third by virtue of their goal difference advantage, and they won one win and one draw in the two rounds.
In this game, the Zhejiang team sent a lineup of four foreign aids, and the Shanghai Haigang team played with three foreign aids including Oscar, but the game only lasted 17 minutes, and the Haigang foreign aid Caron retired due to injury.
The two teams played each other offensively and defensively. Haigang missed two good opportunities in the second half. Oscar sent the ball to the goalkeeper in the counterattack in the 68th minute. Lu Wenjun hit the crossbar with a header in stoppage time and almost staged a lore.
The final will be held on the 15th. If Shandong Taishan wins, they will win the eighth FA Cup in team history with three consecutive championships. Otherwise, Zhejiang team will create team history and win the championship.
xinhuanet