It's time to show the level of coach Muscat's rotation. Quick review: Harbor team continues to lead with nine consecutive wins but is beginning to show signs of fatigue
With goals from Oscar and Vargas, Shanghai Haigang defeated Wuhan Three Towns 2-0 on the road on the 25th, winning nine consecutive games in the Chinese Super League. Facing a tough schedule of four consecutive away games, Haigang has delivered a nearly perfect report card and continues to lead the standings.
However, under the hot weather and the intensive schedule, the overall competitive state of the Harbor team has obviously declined, and the team is beginning to show signs of fatigue. For head coach Muscat, who likes to rotate players, it is time to show the coaching team's strategic wisdom in tactical response.
Oscar is in great form, contract extension speculation will continue
In the fourth round of the Chinese FA Cup, Haigang played almost entirely with substitutes in Nanning and eventually defeated Nanning Hengchen 2-0. Before this match, Muscat decisively adopted a personnel rotation strategy. Five foreign players including Oscar and Vargas and local main players such as Wu Lei and Yan Junling returned to Shanghai for training in advance and did not participate in the FA Cup.
Oscar and other main players who got a rest were obviously in better physical condition and had more outstanding running ability. In particular, the core midfielder Oscar was in great form in this campaign. He broke the deadlock with a goal and set a new personal Chinese Super League record by participating in goals in 8 consecutive games.
Wuhan Three Towns played in the fourth round of the Chinese FA Cup with a mixed lineup. Some of the main players did not get a rest and were in average condition. In contrast, the energetic Haigang team started high pressure after the opening, creating considerable pressure on the defense of the Three Towns team.
In the 14th minute, the Three Towns team made a serious mistake in passing the ball in the backcourt. Haigang midfielder Matthews 1 Rusa intercepted the ball and sent a straight pass. Oscar got the ball and shot it in. In the 36th minute, Haigang team once again took advantage of the Wuhan Three Towns defender's poor clearance. Center forward Gustavo made an assist and Argentine foreign aid Vargas shot and scored, establishing a two-goal lead early.
Oscar is not only the tactical core of the Shanghai Harbor team, but also the team captain and the only remaining superstar in the Chinese Super League.
Oscar is the tactical core of the Haigang team and the only remaining super foreign aid in the Chinese Super League. After 16 rounds of the Chinese Super League, Oscar leads the league's assists list with 11 assists and ranks ninth in the scorer list with 8 goals. Oscar can assist and score goals. His superior technical and tactical abilities and serious professional attitude are the foundation for the Haigang team to win the league championship.
After scoring the goal, Oscar even made a gesture of putting his arm in a plaster cast. After the game, Oscar also revealed the answer on social media: "Happy to continue the winning streak and enjoy the shouts of our expeditionary army. I want to dedicate the goal to my baby Caio who has a broken bone, little magician, get well soon and return to the football field!"
Oscar made a unique celebration after scoring a goal, dedicated to his son who broke his arm while playing football.
Oscar's heroic form has also made Shanghai Harbor fans more concerned about his contract renewal speculation. According to the data from the German Transfer Market, Oscar's contract with Shanghai Harbor will expire at the end of November this year, and there is no official information on the renewal.
Oscar is a foreign player signed by the Chinese Super League in the era of money-driven football, with an annual salary of 20 million euros. However, after eight seasons in the Chinese Super League, Oscar will have to accept a substantial pay cut even if he wants to renew his contract. The Chinese Super League has already implemented a salary cap policy for foreign players, which prohibits annual salaries from exceeding 3 million euros. Whether Oscar stays or leaves, everything is possible.
It must be admitted that even though the main players were rotated, the Haigang team was slightly tired due to the continuous away games and the hot summer weather, and the team's pressure attack intensity was also declining. The best evidence is the number of shots of the Haigang team: in the 16th round of the Chinese Super League, the number of shots of the Haigang team in each game was higher than that of the opponent, and the team's pressure attack was at least lively; but in the away challenge against Wuhan Three Towns, the number of shots of the Haigang team was tied by the opponent at 15 to 15, and it was only by relying on a stronger ability to seize opportunities that it won the game with some difficulty.
It was rare that the Harbor team did not have an advantage in the number of shots in this game, which showed that the team was a little tired and the pressure on the opponent in the offense was declining.
"I think the most important point is that our players have played four away games in the past 12 days. This is a great test for everyone, and their performance deserves praise." After the game, head coach Muska especially praised the tenacity of all the players. "It would be difficult to do it without strong willpower and mentality. Our team, medical team, coaching team, logistics team, and the whole family have done a great job together. Our first focus is always on the performance of the team, focusing on the present and playing our own style."
The hot weather and the intensive schedule also prevented center forward Gustavo and forward Wu Lei, who had scored consecutively before, from opening their scoring accounts in this game. Gustavo had many shooting opportunities in this game, but they all missed the goal. After the game, he said: "The game was a bit difficult, mainly because we played away games consecutively, and it was difficult to increase the rhythm of the game. The overall lineup of Wuhan Three Towns is very good, with very good foreign players, and some Chinese players are also very good."
On June 25, Shanghai Haigang player Wu Lei greeted his opponents before the game.
On the same day, in the 16th round of the 2024 Chinese Football Association Super League, Shanghai Port defeated Wuhan Three Towns 2-0 away.
Although still leading the standings, the Haigang team still needs to face the test of hot weather and intensive schedule. In this game, Haigang's starting left back Li Shuai received a red card and will be suspended for the next round. Starting right back Wang Zhenao has a thigh muscle strain and may miss the next game. This Saturday, Haigang will host Zhejiang in the 17th round of the Chinese Super League. Muscat needs to find suitable "replacements" for the two full-back positions. Regarding Wang Zhenao's injury, Muscat said: "He felt discomfort in the back of his thigh during the game. We need to wait and know the exact injury after the examination on Thursday."
On June 25, Shanghai Haigang players saluted the fans after winning the game.
On the same day, in the 16th round of the 2024 Chinese Football Association Super League, Shanghai Port defeated Wuhan Three Towns 2-0 away.
The confidence of Shanghai Haigang comes from the fact that Muscat is a coach who likes to actively rotate players. He is not like his predecessor Javier who used the same lineup, which led to fluctuating results in the summer campaign. When it comes to the use of the main players and substitutes, Muscat has always emphasized the concept of "big family".
He said: "I said at the beginning of the season that everyone is needed in the Harbour family. In all the games of the new season, we can see that in addition to the starting players, the substitutes can also help the team as required. In the past FA Cup games, we have also built the concept of a big family very well, and every player has played a role in the team."
With a busy schedule and hot weather, the Harbor team's summer performance is full of uncertainty, but it is also a critical moment for the head coach to demonstrate his ability.
As the fierce competition of the Chinese Super League enters the middle stage, each team needs to face the problems of injuries, intensive schedules and the loss of key players caused by hot weather. At this time, the competition is about the wisdom and strategy of the coaching team, the depth of the bench of each team, and the professional level of the medical support team. The Shanghai Haigang team, which has won nine consecutive victories, has the basic qualities of a strong team in the Chinese Super League. Now that the team is beginning to show signs of fatigue, it is also a time to show Muscat's ability to some extent.
