The nightmare at Phoenix Mountain continues, making Shanghai Port’s title defense even more challenging.

Written by Cheng Shan Despite Shanghai Port’s coach Muscat confidently stating before the match, "We have enough players ready for the game, and everyone is prepared," their performance against Chengdu Rongcheng was clearly passive and even embarrassing. Losing 1-4 at Phoenix Mountain was definitely not the outcome Shanghai Port hoped for, yet this result hardly came as a surprise given the historical data — Phoenix Mountain seems to be an unshakable nightmare for Shanghai Port.

In fact, prior to this match, Shanghai Port was already struggling with an incomplete squad. Key defensive midfielder Youssouf was suspended due to yellow card accumulation in the previous round, and his absence greatly weakened the team’s midfield defense. Youssouf shoulders major defensive responsibilities, including interceptions, tackles, and protecting the backline — roles that are irreplaceable. Without him, Shanghai Port’s midfield appeared fragile against Chengdu Rongcheng’s attacks.

Additionally, three U22 young players, Wumiti Jiang, Li Xinxiong, and Kuai Jiwen, were called up for the upcoming U23 Asian Cup qualifiers. Wumiti Jiang, originally a mainstay center-back, leaving seriously weakened Shanghai Port’s defense. Meanwhile, Li Xinxiong and Kuai Jiwen, important substitutes who have contributed goals and assists this season, were also absent, leaving the team’s bench depth severely lacking.

Upon arriving in Chengdu, the cool temperatures provided comfort to the Shanghai Port players and coaches who had been enduring the summer heat in Shanghai. Although continuous rainy days prevented any sunshine, the players quickly adapted to the cooler weather. During the training session the day before the match, coach Muscat enthusiastically joined the team’s warm-up. Despite never having won at Phoenix Mountain, the overall team atmosphere during preparations was relaxed. "Worrying about other things only wastes energy and focus," Muscat warned the players, though they still found it hard to truly relax. Li Shuai said before the match, "To achieve our goals, every game is like a final for us."

According to Muscat’s plan, he hoped the team could seize control early in the match, but clearly, facing Chengdu Rongcheng, that was very difficult. The home team started with a strong winning mentality. Within just 13 minutes, Wei Shihao’s precise header set up Goulfinkel, who fired a powerful shot from the left side of the box to score, giving Rongcheng a 1-0 lead. Their attacks intensified afterward. At the 20th minute, a serious defensive error occurred for Shanghai Port: Wang Shenchao mistimed a clearance, allowing Goulfinkel to easily bypass defenders and assist Felipe, who scored into an open net, extending Rongcheng’s lead to 2-0. Muscat stood at the sideline with a grim expression, clearly without an immediate solution to the sudden two-goal deficit.

Only nine minutes later, Yang Shiyuan committed a foul inside the box. After VAR review, the referee awarded a penalty to Rongcheng, which Felipe converted to complete his brace. Chengdu Rongcheng led 3-0, and at this point, the match outcome was essentially decided. It wasn’t until the 35th minute that Shanghai Port’s Li Shuai scored a header to pull one back, slightly restoring pride. However, this goal did not alter the overall flow of the game.

At halftime, Muscat told the players that the situation was indeed tough, but they still had half a game left and urged them to lift their spirits and fight without worrying about the result.

However, constrained by the limited squad, Muscat was unable to make effective adjustments. In the 59th minute of the second half, Chengdu Rongcheng capitalized on a corner kick, with Timo heading home to make the score 4-1. Despite Muscat’s attempts to change the game through substitutions, the deficit created early on was simply too large to overcome, forcing Shanghai Port to accept a heavy away defeat. Throughout the match, although Rongcheng held less than 40% possession, their attacking efficiency far surpassed Shanghai Port’s, with 15 shots and 7 on target resulting in 4 goals; Shanghai Port also had 15 shots but only 5 on target and managed just 1 goal.

After another heavy loss to Rongcheng, Muscat appeared frustrated post-match. "We knew that playing away, we had to show strength early against the opponent. Once they got a good start, their morale rose. Unfortunately, when facing their fierce attack, we probably weren’t well prepared," Muscat admitted. "Today, we lost to a team that performed better than us."

Following this defeat, Shanghai Port currently sits in fourth place. What worries them more is that in the upcoming September schedule, they will face the dual challenge of the AFC Champions League and the Chinese Super League. The congested fixture list will severely test the squad’s depth and players’ stamina. Shanghai Port’s starting lineup is relatively fixed in the league, and the players have already consumed significant energy. Coupled with the tight AFC schedule, effective rotation and tactical adjustments are imperative.

Given the current squad situation, Shanghai Port lacks abundant personnel reserves. Balancing between the Chinese Super League and AFC Champions League while managing players’ fitness will be a major challenge for coach Muscat.

It is also worth noting that securing points in the next seven league rounds will be far from easy for Shanghai Port. This season, their chances against top-tier teams have been slim, and they still must face Guoan and Taishan. Overcoming these formidable obstacles to defend their Chinese Super League title will be an arduous task for Shanghai Port this season.