In a rescheduled Chinese Super League (CSL) match on Tuesday, Shanghai Port secured a 2-1 victory over Meizhou Hakka in Meizhou, Guangdong Province. This win propels Shanghai Port to the top of the league table at the halfway point of the 2024 season.
Shanghai Port dominated the first half, creating multiple scoring opportunities. Meizhou Hakka’s goalkeeper, Cheng Yuelei, made several crucial saves to keep the score level. Although Meizhou Hakka’s Tyrone Conraad found the back of the net in the 34th minute, the goal was disallowed for offside.
The deadlock was broken in the 54th minute when Leo Cittadini capitalized on a corner kick from Oscar, scoring amidst a scramble in the penalty area. After a lengthy video assistant referee (VAR) review, the goal was confirmed despite debates over a potential handball by Cittadini.
Shortly after, Wu Lei doubled Shanghai Port’s lead in the 67th minute, exploiting Meizhou Hakka’s unsettled defense. Tensions rose as Meizhou Hakka’s Ye Chugui received a second yellow card in the 69th minute for a tackle from behind on Feng Jin, leaving his team with ten players.
Meizhou Hakka continued to fight back. While Yang Chaosheng’s 78th-minute goal was disallowed due to an offside call against teammate Rooney Eva Wankewai, they finally got on the scoreboard in the 84th minute. Nebojsa Kosovic volleyed in Yang’s cross, reducing the deficit to 2-1.
In the closing moments, Meizhou Hakka had an opportunity to equalize, but Yang’s shot was blocked by a defender near the goal line. The match concluded with Shanghai Port securing the win, ending Meizhou Hakka’s three-game unbeaten streak.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
