In the away match against Phoenix Mountain, the Henan team is prepared for a tough battle.

Reporter Lu Mi reports On the 19th at 19:35, in the FA Cup semifinals, Henan will face Chengdu Rongcheng away. In the last match, Henan endured a grueling 120 minutes against Shenhua, finishing in a draw, and secured victory through penalties, demonstrating the tenacity of the "Central Plains Iron Army." In the semifinals against Rongcheng, they are also prepared for a hard-fought match. In their first encounter in this season's Super League, Henan narrowly defeated Chengdu Rongcheng 3-2 at home.

In the recently concluded round of the Super League, Henan faced Shanghai Port away, losing 1-4. Head coach Ramos made some adjustments to the lineup based on the current situation of the team and the needs of the midweek match, with key players like Achiampong, Cardoso, and Wang Shangyuan coming off the bench, while Yang Yilin and He Chao started. "Regarding the substitutions, the schedule is very tight, and everyone is important. We hope to make good use of the form of the rotating players," said Ramos.

After finishing the away match against Shanghai Port, Henan went directly from Shanghai to Chengdu to better prepare for the FA Cup semifinals in midweek. While working hard for relegation in the league, Henan did not relax in the FA Cup; their last match against Shenhua was a highlight of the season. Playing consecutive away games in the league and the FA Cup indeed tests Henan's physical endurance.

Chengdu Rongcheng's home ground is known as a "devil's arena." In the recent Asian Champions League qualifiers, Rongcheng has achieved 8 wins, 3 draws, and 1 loss in 12 home games this season at Phoenix Mountain Sports Center, with a win rate of 66.7% and an average attendance of over 42,000. Rongcheng's defensive performance is outstanding, having conceded only 16 goals in 21 rounds of the Super League, making them the best defensive team in the league. The center-back combination of Timo, Li Yang, and Yuan Mincheng has a successful interception rate of 72%, and they have achieved 4 clean sheets in 6 consecutive matches across competitions, making them one of the league's most solid defenses.

Henan's progress is also evident; compared to the beginning of the season, the overall performance of the team's forward line has improved. The first encounter between Henan and Chengdu Rongcheng this season was in June during the league, when Henan had just changed coaches, and the team was in a "revival" phase. Cardoso scored 1 goal and provided 1 assist, while Achiampong and Huang Zichang each scored 1 goal, leading to a 3-2 victory for Henan. Now, under Ramos's guidance, the attacking trio of Achiampong, Nasario, and Cardoso have found their rhythm and are performing quite steadily.

Achiampong's breakthroughs on the wing consistently create set-piece opportunities in the attacking third; he is a key player for Henan in threatening Rongcheng's defense. In their first league encounter, Achiampong was the main initiator of Henan's attacks.

Additionally, Henan has conducted thorough research on Rongcheng. Romulo is the midfield core for Rongcheng, serving as a link between the front and back lines. Henan will seek to restrict Romulo's influence through midfield pressure from Wang Shangyuan and Huang Ruifeng, cutting off his passing routes to significantly reduce his attacking threat. Furthermore, due to Rongcheng's recent participation in the Asian Champions League qualifiers and their league title challenge, midfielder Zhou Dingyang has been fatigued from consecutive matches. If Zhou plays midweek, Henan will devise an appropriate strategy based on the opponent's condition.

Henan, having rotated some players, suffered a 1-4 defeat to Shanghai Port in the league. This significant loss is a blow to Henan, but an even greater setback is the injury to goalkeeper Xu Jiamin.

In the first half against Shanghai Port, Xu attempted to stop a one-on-one situation with an opponent but unfortunately got injured during the challenge. After treatment from the team doctor, he managed to finish the first half but was replaced by Wang Guoming at halftime.

As the team did not return to Henan but went directly to Chengdu, Xu underwent further examination after arriving in Chengdu. Although the team has not publicly disclosed the specifics of his injury, it has been confirmed that he will not be able to participate in the FA Cup semifinal against Chengdu Rongcheng, and it may also affect his availability for subsequent league matches.

In the second half of last season, Xu sat on the bench, but this season he has had the opportunity to play in the FA Cup. In the match against Shanghai Shenhua, he faced immense pressure, making several spectacular saves to help the team reach the semifinals. Since then, he has gradually become the starting goalkeeper, currently holding a record of 3 league starts. Just as he established himself as a starter, he faced an unexpected injury, which is indeed a significant setback for the player. The club will fully cooperate to ensure the player's treatment and should pay more attention to the player's mental state.

For Henan, August is a crucial and challenging month, with 6 matches, including 4 away games, against both strong teams and relegation rivals. In the 3 matches already played, Henan defeated Shenzhen but lost to Xihai Coast and Shanghai Port. In the remaining 3 matches, Henan will certainly strive to achieve the desired results. In the FA Cup match against Chengdu Rongcheng, Henan hopes to create a historic record but must also be cautious not to incur new injuries, as this would impact their critical relegation battles ahead.