At 19:35 on July 17, the fifth round (round of 16) of the 2024 FA Cup season kicks off, with Zhejiang Team facing Shanghai Port.
The two strong teams from the Chinese Super League have been participating in the FA Cup since the round of 16. Zhejiang Team defeated Jiangxi Lushan 3-0 away in the previous round, while Shanghai Port advanced to the round of 16 after an easy 2-0 win over Guangxi Hengchen as visitors. Starting from the fifth round of the FA Cup, the format has reverted to a single elimination system where “if tied after regular time, there will be a 30-minute extra time period, and if still tied, it will proceed to a penalty shootout.”
In their last league match, Zhejiang Team suffered a 2-5 defeat away against Qingdao West Coast. This loss not only had no impact on their league standing but also gifted the opponent three crucial points, making the relegation battle in this season’s Chinese Super League even more unpredictable. The crushing defeat sparked outrage among Zhejiang Team’s fan groups, forcing the club to issue an apology statement on their official Weibo account, vowing to give their all in the upcoming league matches, FA Cup, and AFC Champions League schedule.
Having conceded 35 goals in 19 league matches, Zhejiang Team is the team that has conceded the most goals among the top 12 in this season’s Chinese Super League, indicating that their biggest problem lies in their defense. Even with Leonardo, who has scored 14 goals in the last 14 games across various competitions, Zhejiang Team’s hopes of finishing in the top three of the league based on their league performance, and thus qualifying for next season’s continental stage, are already very slim.
Zhejiang Team’s best result in the FA Cup was runner-up, reaching the final in the 2022 season but ultimately losing 1-2 to Shandong Taishan, missing out on the championship. Notably, Zhejiang Team eliminated Shanghai Port via a penalty shootout in the semi-finals at that time. Head coach Jordi said before the game: “The key point of the match is to play our own tactical style to have a chance of advancing.” Foreign player Frank also expressed his awareness of the importance of this match and vowed to fight hard for the opportunity to advance.
Shanghai Port’s current form can be described as red-hot, having won 13 consecutive matches in all competitions so far, continuing to lead the Shanghai Shenhua by two points and dominating the Chinese Super League standings. However, on the FA Cup stage, Port has never won the title. Therefore, for the FA Cup, Port, currently at the peak of their powers, naturally has ambitions.
In the last league match, Shanghai Port thrashed Beijing Guoan 5-1 at home, increasing their seasonal output to 59 goals, with a goal difference of 42, which is even more than the total number of goals scored by the other 13 teams outside the top three. This clearly demonstrates Port’s terrifying offensive efficiency. Main striker Wu Lei and Gustavo both scored twice in the last match, ranking first and second respectively on the Chinese Super League’s goal-scoring list with 21 and 13 goals (Gustavo tied with Leonardo).
Just before the deadline of the secondary transfer window in the Chinese Super League, Shanghai Port officially announced the signing of a new foreign player – the 30-year-old Brazilian forward William Pop, who joined Port on loan from Thai League side Muangthong United. Under the premise that the five foreign players within the team have all contributed this season, the outside world generally believes that Port’s reinforcement is for personnel reserves for the AFC Champions League elite league schedule. However, Port is expected to travel to Hangzhou with their existing squad. Head coach Muscat said at the pre-match press conference: “All attention is currently focused on tomorrow’s decisive one-off match, which will be a contest about controlling the pace of the game.”
Zhejiang Team and Shanghai Port have faced each other twice in the league this season, with Zhejiang Team holding Port to a 0-0 draw at home but losing 1-3 away. This match will be held at Xiaoshan Sports Center rather than Zhejiang Team’s regular home ground, Huanglong Sports Center. Whether the change of venue will affect the home team and what mindset the visiting team, Shanghai Port, will bring to this crucial match remains to be seen.
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