|
Home>News Center>Sports | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
Shenzhen seek best defence ahead of Champions League
SHENZHEN – The defensive solidity of Chinese side Shenzhen Jianlibao will be given its biggest test on Wednesday when they take on Al Ain of the United Arab Emirates in the AFC Champions League semi-final first leg without suspended defender Li Weifeng. The China international has been an influential presence in the Shenzhen defence during their run to the last four of the AFC Champions League but is out of the game in Al Ain after being needlessly sent off in the quarter-final victory over Al Ahli of Saudi Arabia, picking up his second yellow card of the match for kicking the ball away after the referee’s whistle. He would have missed Wednesday’s game anyway as an earlier booking in the match against Al Ahli was his second in consecutive games. The 27-year-old has been booked a total of six times in the AFC Champions League despite only playing in five matches but his absence is a big blow to the defensive game plan of coach Guo Ruilong, whose side’s success in pulling off memorable comeback victories against Suwon Bluewings and Al Ahli can largely be attributed to their solid backline. That was particularly so in the quarter-finals when the defence held out against Al Ahli for long periods in the first leg in Jeddah before utilising their strong counter attack to good effect when they returned home for the return leg. "Li's suspension, coupled with Zhang Younghai's injury [during the 3-2 loss
to Shenyang Ginde in the China Super League on Saturday], makes life even more
difficult for our short-handed back line," Guo said to local media before his
team’s departure for the UAE on Monday.
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
