Hey soccer fans! ⚽️ There’s big news from the AFC Champions League Elite tournament!
Shandong Taishan, one of China’s top soccer teams, had to withdraw from the competition. 😮 They went all the way to South Korea to play against Ulsan Hyundai, but couldn’t play the match or continue in the tournament.
Why? Because many of their players got sick 🤒, and they couldn’t form a team to play. Health comes first, right?
This unexpected turn means that another Chinese team, Shanghai Port, gets a chance to advance to the next round! 🎉 Even though they lost 2-0 to Japan’s Yokohama F. Marinos, they might still make it to the last 16!
In their game, Shanghai Port thought they scored a goal in the 11th minute. But after some messy play, the goal was ruled offside 😕. Then, Yokohama scored twice in the second half. First, Asahi Uenaka made a brilliant shot ⚡️, and then Jun Amano added another goal just five minutes later.
Even though Shanghai Port didn’t win, there’s still hope! Since Shandong Taishan is out, their previous results don’t count anymore. The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) is figuring out what happens next. 🤔
The knockout stage starts in early March, so stay tuned to see if Shanghai Port makes it through! 🚀
Isn’t soccer full of surprises? What do you think will happen next? Let us know! 🗣️
Reference(s):
Shandong withdraw from ACL Elite, Shanghai Port fall against Marinos
cgtn.com
