The best performance in the club's history! Advancing to the semifinals of the FA Cup, Yukun is not yet at its peak.

Written by/ Zuo Rui On the evening of the 22nd, at the Yuxi Plateau Sports Center, after defeating the newly promoted Guangdong Guangzhou Leopard at home, Yunnan Yukun set a new club record—reaching the semifinals of the FA Cup. In the upcoming semifinal against Beijing Guoan, they can go all out.

Before the match, Yukun's head coach Anderson rarely made a prediction about the game's outcome. He believed that the chances of winning against their opponent were higher, and they could smoothly advance to the semifinals, "because this is our home ground." Although the cup opponent came from the second division, according to the rules, he could only field three foreign players. Last Friday, Tang Miao, who experienced a setback in his first match for Yukun in Hangzhou, also stated, "As a new player, I want to experience the atmosphere of the home ground and hope everyone gives their all."

As the match kicked off, Anderson fully utilized his available resources without reservation. New foreign player Burke partnered with returning Li Songyi in central defense, while Dilimurati and Tang Miao took on the roles of left and right full-backs, respectively. The five midfielders were Zhao Yuhao, Luo Jing, Ye Chuguo, and Yoni Cha, with Oscar playing as the lone striker. The remaining two foreign players, Enrique and Nene, were given a rest.

The visiting coach Li Bing regarded the trip to Yuxi as an opportunity for "training and improvement," hoping to enhance the team's tactical level through competition with a strong team from the Chinese Super League. After the kickoff, Guangzhou Leopard fielded a fully domestic squad, with the previously less seen mixed-race players Ai Chuwei and Huang Shenghao getting playing time.

Just four minutes into the match, Oscar scored with a stunning volley after a header assist in the penalty area, putting Yukun ahead early. In the 20th minute, when Ye Chuguo made consecutive breakthroughs in the penalty area, the home team also surprisingly dominated possession. Meanwhile, Tang Miao frequently delivered crosses from the right flank. It seems that for a considerable time to come, his right wing will be one of Yukun's main attacking launch points.

In the 38th minute, Yukun's high-pressure pressing during the opponent's transition from defense to attack paid off, as Tang Miao's low pass penetrated the opponent's defense, allowing Oscar to easily score. After Luo Jing and Oscar raised the number 3 jersey to call for the injured Xu Hongjie to return quickly, the home team ended the first half with a 2-0 lead.

In the 47th minute, Tang Miao provided a long pass over the top in midfield, achieving his second assist, as Oscar chipped the ball over the goalkeeper for his second goal. Yunnan Yukun scored early again in the second half, taking a commanding 3-0 lead.

Although Li Bing subsequently brought on foreign players Carlos and Rosa, these two main players found themselves isolated for most of the time on the field, as the coach's intention seemed more about keeping them match-fit. Anderson, on the other hand, made a triple substitution in the 65th minute, replacing Hou Yongyong, Zhao Yuhao, and Ye Chuguo at once, hoping to preserve the victory with Yin Congyao, Sun Xuelong, and Zhang Yufeng.

In the 78th minute, Romanian international Burke's handling of the ball in defense was somewhat over the top; his casual back pass forced goalkeeper Ma Zhen to rush out of the goal and intervene with two sliding tackles. This brief episode added a bit of spice to the otherwise dull remainder of the match but did not change the joyful tone of the home team's resounding victory.

Yunnan Yukun defeated their cup opponent with the largest margin this season; previously, they had only recorded a two-goal margin against an opponent once, which was a 2-0 victory over Meizhou Hakka in the 13th round of the league. Oscar expressed his happiness after the match, stating that after experiencing two consecutive league defeats, he was very glad to bring this victory to the team and the fans.

The 3-0 victory not only boosted the team's morale and excited the 21,585 fans but also set a new club record for this newly promoted team in the Chinese Super League—advancing to the semifinals of the FA Cup. Although the teams they faced along the way were all from lower divisions, in a knockout cup format, Yukun, free of pressure, is fully capable of continuing to disrupt the competition, even going all in.

Coach Anderson's post-match remarks had a bit of that flavor: "Although we regrettably lost the previous two matches against Beijing Guoan, our performance in those games was not bad. Next time we face Beijing Guoan, we will still give our all."