The FA Cup witnessed a "Penalty Night": Taishan and Haigang had a narrow escape, while Henan was sadly eliminated.

Reported by Chen Yong Reporter Chen Yong reports: On the first matchday of the FA Cup Round of 16, as many as 4 out of 7 matches went into extra time and fierce penalty shootouts. In this scorching summer, the FA Cup was extremely brutal, and fans were equally tormented: Taishan and Haigang narrowly advanced via penalties, while Rongcheng was eliminated in a shootout, shattering their dream of a double crown.

In the match between Kewei and Guoan, the latter took a 2-0 lead. Kewei pulled one back just before stoppage time but could not turn the tide, and Guoan advanced comfortably.

In Shenhua's home game against Hainiu, the latter was focused on league survival and had little interest in the FA Cup. Their starting lineup featured only one foreign player, Ye Boya, who started because he was suspended in the league that weekend, while local players were mostly substitutes. Although Ye Boya scored first, Shenhua netted four goals afterward to advance.

In the match between Tonglianglong and Xihaian, both teams fielded two foreign players and mixed starters with young players. The home team, Tonglianglong, scored first, and then Xihaian's Ding Haifeng was sent off. With a numerical advantage and the lead, the hosts won 2-0 to advance.

The other four matches all went to penalty shootouts, testing the physical and mental endurance of the eight teams involved.

Haigang hosted Xinpengcheng, scoring in first-half stoppage time, but Xinpengcheng equalized in the second half. In regular-time stoppage time, Jiang Zhipeng was shown a red card. During extra time, Xinpengcheng showed great resilience, dragging the match into a penalty shootout. Notably, Haigang goalkeeper Chen Wei missed the decisive penalty in the fifth round but saved one from Xinpengcheng in the sixth round, helping his team advance.

Yukun showed similar tenacity. In their match against Rongcheng, they fell behind three times and equalized three times, all while playing with one man less for an extended period. Ultimately, they not only forced Rongcheng into a penalty shootout but also emerged victorious.

Even more surprising was Taishan. Their opponent, Sanzhen, started with only one foreign player and rested most of their local starters. Taishan deployed their three foreign forwards alongside five players under 22. Taishan fell behind twice, and in extra time, Sanzhen scored in the 114th minute, leaving Taishan fans in despair. At the critical moment, Cressan stepped up with a highly precise shot inside the box to equalize.

In the penalty shootout, Yu Jinyong saved two penalties from Sanzhen, helping Taishan advance. Throughout the match, Yu Jinyong also saved a penalty and a one-on-one chance in regular time, and denied another excellent scoring opportunity. He was the biggest contributor to Taishan's victory.

Last season's FA Cup runner-up, Henan, was also eliminated in a penalty shootout. In regular time, they drew 1-1 with Yingbo. Extra time saw no goals. In the shootout, both teams missed one penalty in the first five rounds. In the sixth round of one-on-one duels, Yingbo scored while Henan missed, allowing Yingbo to advance on the road.

In such a hot season, with 4 out of 7 matches going into extra time and penalty shootouts, the drain on the eight teams was enormous. This weekend in the Chinese Super League, these teams will likely have to make major rotations. Sanzhen deserves special attention: since they rested some starters, their main squad had less fatigue, but playing extra time will still have some impact on the weekend league match.

The remaining FA Cup Round of 16 match is scheduled for today, between Lanzhou Longyuan Jingji and Shaanxi Union. The winner will be a "dark horse."

In the upcoming FA Cup quarterfinals, Taishan will face Haigang, Yingbo will play Shenhua, Yukun will take on Tonglianglong, and the winner of Lanzhou Longyuan Jingji vs. Shaanxi Union will meet Guoan.