Celebrating the Beijing-Shandong showdown, Taishan becomes the first to "clear the penalty points"

Report by Chen Yong Following a fierce and intense contest, Shandong Taishan secured a 2-1 victory over Beijing Guoan at home, making them the first team among nine penalized sides in the Chinese Super League to clear their deducted points. With Qingdao West Coast still awaiting their match, Taishan has moved up to fifth position in the league table.

Prior to the match, Taishan hosted a retirement ceremony for veteran Zhang Chi at their home ground. This "Taishan youngster," who joined the football academy in 1999 and entered the first team in 2007, dedicated his entire career to Shandong Taishan, except for a loan to Qingdao Hainiu in the latter half of last year. Zhang Chi earned the support of Taishan fans through his diligence, dedication, and professional attitude—especially his full commitment despite returning from multiple serious injuries.

“It’s a very happy feeling, different from playing a match. I also thank the club and all the wonderful fans. I’m fortunate to have this ceremony before such a game, witnessing my football career and ending it,” Zhang Chi reflected. “No matter where I am or what I do, I will always be a child of Taishan, carrying Taishan’s blood.”

For this match, Taishan maintained the starting lineup from their previous game. Beijing Guoan faced personnel issues due to injuries and suspensions: besides Da Wan, who was injured in the first round, key goalkeeper Hou Sen was also unavailable. In terms of squad strength, Taishan held some advantage. Another advantage for Taishan was their home support, with 45,069 fans present at Jinan Olympic Sports Center.

The match was played in cold rain; besides the chill, the slippery pitch and ball created difficulties. Both sides started cautiously, and the entire first half turned into a grinding battle. The game was filled with high-intensity confrontations, but poor pitch and weather conditions disrupted both teams’ rhythm transitions. In the first half, the two sides combined for only seven shots.

The second half largely continued the same pattern, but Taishan pressed forward more decisively. The turning point came in the 49th minute: after intricate passing combinations on the left flank, Cresan delivered a diagonal pass from the center, and Xie Weneng surged into the penalty area from the right to blast a shot into the net. This goal closely resembled Xie Weneng’s first-round strike assisted by Vako—both involved cutting in from the right to finish after receiving a diagonal pass. For Xie Weneng, playing as a right wing-back, scoring in consecutive rounds is quite rare, showcasing both his mobility and scoring ability.

After taking the lead, Taishan created several scoring opportunities but failed to capitalize. Instead, in the 86th minute, Beijing Guoan equalized. However, Taishan’s desire to win didn’t allow the visitors to celebrate for long; just two minutes later, from a free-kick, Cresan headed home another goal. The 2-1 scoreline held until the end.

In this Beijing-Shandong clash, both teams focused intensely on the game, with players fully committed. Taishan ultimately won through superior individual ability. After the match, Cresan, who contributed a goal and an assist, was named the best player of the game.

After defeating Beijing Guoan 2-1, Han Peng achieved a double victory over Guoan in his coaching career. During his playing days, Han Peng was the Taishan player who scored most against Beijing Guoan and witnessed many victories over them.

With this win, Taishan moved from -6 points to 0 points. Among nine teams penalized at the start of the season, Taishan has now distanced themselves from the other eight. Among unpenalized teams, Dalian Yingbo and Liaoning Ironman suffered two consecutive losses. With Qingdao West Coast yet to play this round, Taishan has risen to fifth place in the Chinese Super League standings.

Nevertheless, the two-win Taishan still has areas to improve. Firstly, in the attacking combination, Kazashvili has yet to display his expected capability—especially in this Beijing-Shandong battle, where he was largely neutralized. The disrupted passing due to rainy conditions and the overall physical battle didn’t suit his style.

Additionally, Taishan’s midfield currently appears somewhat thin. In both consecutive matches, Taishan used the duo of Madruga and Li Yuanyi, and both played the full match in this Beijing-Shandong clash. With Huang Zhengyu often deployed as a center-back, rotation in midfield poses a significant issue. For the future, Huang Zhengyu should occasionally return to midfield, and in less intense matches, younger players like Chen Zeshi could receive more playing time.

Although Beijing Guoan lost the match, for Guoan fans, it wasn’t a particularly disheartening game. It could be said that while the Beijing-Shandong battle produced a winner, both teams performed quite well. The only regret was that the rainy conditions affected the game’s rhythm transitions.

After the match, Guoan fans gave relatively positive feedback. A key point is that two new foreign signings earned recognition: new center-back Ramos performed commendably, showing not only solid defensive skills but also excellent mobility. This season, Beijing Guoan leans toward a transitional style, making Ramos’ mobility crucial. Additionally, Guoan’s new foreign midfielder Conti displayed well-rounded abilities, especially in duels, holding his own against Cresan several times. Their arrivals have given Guoan fans hope for significant improvement in the midfield and defense, though the team’s offensive efficiency remains average.

Besides Taishan clearing their points first, center-back Álvaro also gained fan approval. He didn’t exhibit the same mobility as Ramos, but his overall performance was solid, offering Taishan fans confidence in defensive stability. As summarized by Su Maozhen at the post-match press conference, the first two rounds have boosted Taishan’s confidence: “In such high-intensity, high-pressure matches, experiencing both favorable and adverse situations, we demonstrated tenacious fighting spirit and determination—that’s the greatest asset. Still, we must calm down, quickly summarize our strengths and good aspects from these two games, and identify shortcomings. The league has just begun; the road ahead is long, and we must proceed step by step.”