Mount Tai's Dilemma: Defensive Line Continues to Collapse, Squad Still Incomplete

Reporter Chen Yong reports Reporter Chen Yong notes: Despite holding a temporary advantage, Shandong Taishan surrendered two goals in the first half against Henan Club Càitáofāng on July 26 evening—both from open play and a set piece. This meant Taishan had conceded ten goals in their last four games. Although Cresan scored a long-distance header in the second half to reduce the deficit, they lost 1-2 at home. In this match, the issue of an incomplete squad remained unresolved, as only 20 players were listed on the 23-man roster.

In the first half, Taishan held 57.4% possession, had a 9-8 shot advantage, 4-3 shots on target, and 8-8 key passes, with only corner kicks (0-3) in favor of Henan. However, Taishan failed to score. Instead, in the 30th minute, Nasário scored after weaving through the Taishan penalty area, and in the 45th minute, Henan foreign player Maria scored the second from a corner.

Thus, over the past four league matches, Taishan has conceded ten goals, with at least two in each game—including the FA Cup round of 16 match against a heavily rotated Wuhan Three Towns, where they also gave up two goals.

Taishan's defensive issues are not new; they have conceded in 15 consecutive league rounds. The last clean sheet was in CSL round 5, a 1-0 away win over Henan. Since then, they have conceded in every league match, totaling 29 goals in 15 rounds (nearly two per game). Currently, with 36 goals against, Taishan ranks fourth in the CSL for most goals conceded. Only Yunnan Yukun and Qingdao Hainiu (38 each) and Shenzhen Peng City (37) have conceded more.

It must be said that Taishan's defensive quality has serious problems. The recent high goal tally may be partly due to squad shortages, but conceding in 15 straight games for a total of 29 goals clearly indicates issues in the defensive system, tactical discipline, and even mental focus.

Corresponding to the goals conceded, Taishan's recent results have been poor: In round 18, they beat Yunnan Yukun but conceded three; in round 19, they lost 1-3 away to Dalian Yingbo; in the FA Cup round of 16, they scraped through on penalties against Wuhan Three Towns after a 2-2 draw in 120 minutes; and in round 20, they lost at home to Henan, suffering two consecutive league defeats. Such results have severely tested fans' patience, and it is no surprise that the coaching staff is under immense public pressure.

Taishan's starting lineup for this match was: goalkeeper Yu Jinyong; defenders Liu Yang, Zheng Zheng, Gao Zhunyi, and Wang Tong; three holding midfielders Madelega, Huang Zhengyu, and Yimulan; and a foreign striker trio of Kazayshivili, Cresan, and Zeka. The team opted for a three-holding-midfielder formation to strengthen midfield defense, but the defensive line still faltered during the game.

Notably, Taishan only had 20 players on the matchday roster. Apart from Chen Pu, Sun Qihang, and Li Xiaoheng, all substitutes were under 22, including 19-year-old Hao Fubo, who had just been promoted to the first team. Up to seven main or rotational players were absent: Wang Dalei, Alvaro, Li Yuanyi, Xie Wenneng, Chen Zeshi, Peng Xiao, and Mai Wulang.

A similar situation occurred in the previous match against Yunnan Yukun: Taishan barely filled a 23-man roster, but the bench included three goalkeepers and one injured player, along with eight players under 22. Only regular rotational players Li Xiaoheng and Yimulan were on the bench.

We previously analyzed that Taishan's regular rotational squad numbers only 19 players, including four youngsters: Mai Wulang, Peng Xiao, Chen Zeshi, and Yimulan. Yu Jinyong was not originally in the rotation but earned a start due to his excellent FA Cup performance. With seven players missing, the only regular rotational players on the bench were Chen Pu and Li Xiaoheng, and Li Xiaoheng, who has been in poor form recently, did not appear in the match.

The root cause of Taishan's squad shortage is inadequate preparation and timely response in roster depth. For instance, the team has long lacked a right-back and a left-back rotational option. Unfortunately, the summer transfer window was a prime opportunity to strengthen, but no reinforcements were made. Consequently, once injuries and suspensions exceed three players, the rotation becomes problematic. Compounding this, Taishan's recent injury crisis has been severe, so the predicament has not only remained unsolved but has worsened.