Scoring two more players, Shenhua still relies on veterans to "carry the burden forward"

Special contributor/Gan Hui For more than half the game, Shenhua had 11 players against 9, a two-player advantage, but in the end, the team could only rely on veteran Wu Xi and Yu Hanchao's goals to achieve a tough 2-1 away win over Qingdao West Coast, continuing their title contention hopes.

After the match, Slutsky commented, "We did not play well at the start, and the team's attention and focus were not very high. After conceding a goal, the overall team performance clearly improved, and we created many scoring chances and quickly equalized. The opponent’s two players being sent off today did make the game somewhat easier, but I believe this was also due to the entire team’s effort."

Liu Chengyu was called up to the China U22 team during the break and only joined the squad on the evening of the 15th. Andre had just recovered from a minimally invasive lumbar disc surgery, so coach Slutsky selected the veteran Yu Hanchao and foreign player Asue as the starting forwards, marking Yu Hanchao's first start in the Chinese Super League this season.

As a result, the veteran once again played a crucial role. When Shenhua, despite having two extra players, struggled to gain a scoring advantage, Yu Hanchao scored with a header to help the team take the lead and eventually win the match.

In the 57th minute, Shenhua earned a corner kick. Substitute Xu Haoyang delivered the ball to the far post, where Yu Hanchao scored with a headed lob—his sixth league goal this season.

Even with two extra players, Shenhua still relied on the "two veterans" to save the day! Shenhua narrowly defeated the 9-man Qingdao West Coast 2-1, with Zhang Chengdong and Sun Jie receiving red cards.

Although Yu Hanchao’s playing time was limited, his six goals rank him just behind Minero, Wu Xi, and Andre on Shenhua’s scoring chart, with Wu Xi and Andre each having scored two penalties.

Shenhua’s other goal also came from a veteran, Wu Xi. In the 17th minute, Helonghai fouled Manafa inside the box, resulting in a penalty after the referee reviewed the VAR footage. Wu Xi confidently converted the spot-kick. This brought Wu Xi’s tally to seven goals this season, equaling his personal single-season Chinese Super League record. In 2024, he also scored seven goals. Moreover, his involvement in 12 goals this season (5 assists) has set a new personal best for a single campaign.

At the post-match press conference, when speaking about these two veterans, Slutsky said, "I have often stated that the performances of veterans Yu Hanchao and Wu Xi are unparalleled. They are not only team leaders but also role models for the younger players. Previously, after consulting with the medical team, we believed Yu Hanchao’s physical condition was not yet ready for a start, but considering his recent form and fitness, I think he is now fit to start."

In these two seasons, Shenhua has often relied on veterans Wu Xi and Yu Hanchao to "keep the team alive." It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that while other teams are carried by their foreign players, Shenhua depends heavily on these two veterans as pillars. This is fortunate for Shenhua and for Chinese football, but Wu Xi is already 36 and Yu Hanchao 38. Time waits for no one, especially in such a physically demanding sport. How much longer can Shenhua count on them?

In the 38th minute, Qingdao West Coast player Sun Jie stomped on Yu Hanchao and knocked him down. The referee initially gave a yellow card, but after a VAR review at the sideline, the decision was changed to a red card.

Near the end of the first half, Zhang Chengdong was booked for arguing with the referee, and after receiving a yellow card, he continued to protest, which led to a second yellow and subsequently a red card. Thus, Shenhua played with 11 against 9 for over half the match.

However, when Shenhua had two extra players, Slutsky’s halftime substitution was rather conventional, replacing Gao Tianyi, who had a yellow card, with Xu Haoyang. Although the score was 1-1 at that time and the league leaders Shanghai Port had already won 4-3 against Qingdao Hainiu earlier, Slutsky did not change the formation, sticking with a four-back defense. Subsequent substitutions were also routine. On the field, Shenhua’s attack failed to improve despite the numerical advantage.

“With two fewer players, the opponent would surely adopt deep defensive tactics, so I asked my players to utilize the wing spaces for crosses and to increase the game’s intensity as much as possible. After taking the lead, we hoped to control possession more.” Actually, both increasing intensity and using the flanks are consistent demands from Slutsky.

In the 68th minute of the second half, Slutsky substituted Andre for Yu Hanchao, marking the Brazilian forward’s first appearance since surgery. However, neither starting foreign forward Asue nor substitute foreign forward Luis made much impact.

On the evening of the 17th, both Shanghai Port and Chengdu Rongcheng completed their matches, with both teams securing victories. Therefore, after beating Qingdao West Coast, Shenhua remains third in the standings, three points behind the leaders Shanghai Port.