After conceding goals in 11 consecutive matches, Taishan finally achieved a complete victory by keeping a clean sheet!

Reporter Chen Yong reports After being scored on for 11 rounds, Shandong Taishan finally managed to secure a shutout in their match against Meizhou Hakka, winning 3-0. Han Peng celebrated his first victory in his second match as coach. This win is significant for Taishan's confidence and tactical development.

Before this round, Taishan made adjustments to their first-team roster. During this summer transfer window, as many as 8 players were loaned out, while foreign center-back Luis Lopez joined the team, and former foreign center-back Kazar left. Prior to the match, club vice president Su Maozhen presented Lopez with the number 15 jersey. The adjusted Taishan roster now consists of only 31 players, including 23 unrestricted age players and 8 players who can be shared between the first team and Taishan B team.

With 31 players, it can be said that the roster has been significantly trimmed, and importantly, the proportion of young players has increased considerably. Aside from the 8 B-list players, 20-year-old Peng Xiao and 19-year-old Mei Shuaijun are solely registered for the first team, indicating that these two players will focus on first-team matches, specifically in the Chinese Super League.

It can be said that the reduction in the first-team roster and the level of youthfulness have exceeded fans' expectations, reflecting Taishan club's determination to reshape the first team and accelerate the process of youth development. In the last two matches, Peng Xiao started and played for 78 minutes in the previous game and again started this match. Clearly, as the acting head coach, Han Peng is firmly implementing the club's youth strategy.

In this match, Taishan continued with a three-center-back formation, with goalkeeper Wang Dalei, who surpassed Wang Song as the new record holder for appearances in the top league with 446 matches; the three center-backs were Zheng Zheng and Lopez partnering with Peng Xiao, while the two wing-backs were Xie WenNeng and Gao Zhunyi; the two defensive midfielders were Li Yuanyi and Madrujia; the attacking trio consisted of Kazaishvili, Kresan, and Zeka. This personnel arrangement closely resembled the lineup Taishan used in the second half of the previous match.

In the first half, Taishan completely dominated the game, showing a clear advantage. A notable change was the increased aggressiveness and initiative of the two wing-backs, Xie WenNeng and Gao Zhunyi, in the offensive phase, as the 3-4-3 formation began to show its effectiveness. In the last match, when the team first used three center-backs, the first half felt more like a five-defender setup. Clearly, Taishan made targeted preparations during training this week.

In this match, Taishan had several good scoring opportunities, but either due to poor shooting quality that lacked threat or because of Meizhou goalkeeper Guo Quanbo's saves. In the 30th minute, Kazaishvili's close-range header was saved by Guo Quanbo, and Meizhou subsequently launched a quick counter-attack, resulting in a yellow card for Peng Xiao.

In the first half, Taishan had a possession rate of 70%, with shots totaling 14 to 0 and shots on target 3 to 0. Additionally, Taishan earned 6 corner kicks. It can be said that the advantage was very clear, but unfortunately, they failed to convert it into goals.

In the second half, Taishan continued to press hard, with the first goal arriving in the 56th minute—Kresan crossed, Xie WenNeng assisted, and Kazaishvili scored with a powerful shot, leaving Guo Quanbo helpless. Before and after this goal, the goalposts at Jinan Olympic Center denied Kresan's shots on two occasions.

In the 82nd minute, Guo Quanbo again saved Liu Yang's shot, but he had no answer for Kazaishvili's follow-up, extending Taishan's lead to 2-0. Before this goal, 19-year-old Mei Shuaijun came off the bench. In the 84th minute, Zeka intercepted the ball, and Kazaishvili scored again, completing his hat trick.

Compared to the happy Kazaishvili, Kresan appeared somewhat regretful, as his last league goal dates back to the 7th round against Xihai Coast, where he scored a hat trick. Now, he has gone 11 consecutive league matches without scoring. It remains to be seen if breaking the 11-match conceding streak will bring Kresan some luck.

Winning 3-0 is extremely valuable for Taishan, especially after their recent poor performance, as it boosts their confidence. Furthermore, in terms of tactics, the three-center-back setup is gradually proving effective, particularly as Taishan recorded 26 shots while limiting their opponents to just 3 shots, all occurring after the 85th minute, indicating that the team still needs to maintain focus in the final moments of the match.

In the next match, Taishan will face Rongcheng away, who have the most well-established three-center-back system in the Chinese Super League, making Taishan's tactical choices worth watching.