In a thrilling match of the 9th round of the Chinese Super League, Shandong Taishan faced Nantong Zhiyun on their home turf. Ye Daochi scored early on, followed by an outstanding performance from Krysan, who bagged a hat-trick. Additionally, Fernando contributed two assists with precision, despite getting injured and leaving the field after missing an open goal. In the end, Shandong Taishan defeated Nantong Zhiyun 3-1 and secured the vital three points.
Over the past three rounds, Shandong Taishan has successively defeated Cangzhou Mighty Lions, Chengdu Rongcheng, and Nantong Zhiyun, appearing to find a winning rhythm despite their fluctuating form.
Although Nantong Zhiyun is not seen as a strong team in the Chinese Super League, they displayed an extremely positive attitude in the game. Playing against Shandong Taishan, Nantong Zhiyun took on an aggressive offensive role and took a 1-0 lead in the 28th minute with a brilliant goal by Ye Daochi.
However, Shandong Taishan’s strength should not be underestimated, as they quickly responded and equalized the score within five minutes. Fernando’s precise long pass from the right wing found Krysan, who calmly adjusted and scored beautifully to make it 1-1.
Soon after the second half began, Krysan scored twice more. In the 48th minute, Krysan scored directly from a free-kick, and although the goalkeeper touched the ball, it was not enough to stop it. Then, in the 50th minute, following Fernando’s quick break, he superbly assisted Krysan in completing his hat-trick, extending their lead to 3-1.
As the match concluded, Shandong Taishan secured a 3-1 victory and continued their winning streak.
Starting lineup and substitutions:
Shandong Taishan’s starting lineup included: Wang Dalei, Tong Lei (substituted by Gao Zhunyi at the 45th-minute), Zheng Zheng, Shi Ke, Huang Zhengyu, Liu Yang, Li Yuan, Abdulezit Abdureshid (substituted by Delgado at the 45th-minute), Krysan (substituted by Liao Lisheng at the 73rd-minute), Kazaisvili (substituted by Zhang Chi at the 88th-minute), Fernando (substituted by Xie Wennei at the 64th-minute).
Nantong Zhiyun’s starting lineup included: Xue Qinghao, Wei Lai (substituted by Liao Lei at the 70th-minute), Ye Lijiang, Liu Wei, Antoni, Ye Daochi (substituted by Zheng Haoqian at the 60th-minute), Pucelin, Ji Shengpan (substituted by Godinez at the 45th-minute), Jiang Zilei, Cao Kang, Mata (substituted by Nu’erlan·Ziming at the 85th-minute).
Krysan and Fernando stood out with impressive performances, with Krysan reinforcing his key role in the team with three goals in this game. He was ranked second on the 2022 Chinese Super League top scorers list with 25 goals, and in 2023, he continues his excellent form, contributing 17 goals for Taishan.
Taishan performed excellently in the AFC Champions League knockout stages, with key player Krysan being especially prominent. In the 1/8 finals against Kawasaki Frontale, Krysan’s brilliant performance led Taishan to a spectacular comeback victory. However, they unfortunately exited in the 1/4 finals against Yokohama F. Marinos as Krysan missed the first leg due to injury. After recovering from injury, Krysan took some time to regain peak form, resulting in fluctuating outcomes for Taishan.
Currently, the Taishan team has achieved a gratifying result of three consecutive wins, and Kresan has also demonstrated his strength with a hat-trick performance. This seems to signify that a strong contender for the Chinese Super League championship has returned. In the most recent match, apart from Kresan’s impressive performance, “Little Motor” Fernando also caught the eye. Two of Kresan’s goals were thanks to Fernando’s assists.
Fernando’s first assist showcased his outstanding long-passing ability and broad vision, while the second assist highlighted his speed advantage. Even though Fernando has reached his thirties, his performance on the field still commands respect from his opponents. The long passes initiated from the backfield, not yet fully accelerated, are often interrupted by the opposing defenders through fouls, which fully illustrates their fear of him.
The sudden injury of Fernando not only worries the supporters of the Taishan team but also unsettles the entire Chinese football community, as the national team still relies on his speed and technique to “accelerate.” We all hope that Fernando’s injury is not too serious.
Looking back at the Taishan team’s performance over the past three seasons, they have won the Chinese Super League championship and runner-up, demonstrating the team’s strength and stability. At the beginning of 2024, the Taishan team had an impressive performance in the AFC Champions League, naturally becoming a championship favorite. However, as the season progressed, the players accumulated numerous injuries and fatigue from traveling between the AFC Champions League, the Chinese Super League, and the World Cup qualifiers, resulting in a significant drop in performance. Especially after losing to Shenhua and Haigang, the morale of the team took a substantial hit.
However, just when people began to wonder if the Taishan team would drop out of the championship race early, they struck back with a series of victories and once again positioned themselves at the top of the Chinese Super League. Now, on the leaderboard, the Taishan team, with a record of 5 wins, 2 draws, and 2 losses, accumulating 17 points, has re-entered the top ranks, not far behind the leader. If the Taishan team can continue its current performance, the pursuit of the championship seems within reach again.
