Li Yuanyi Made a Game-Winning Assist but Saw Zero Minutes in the FA Cup; Shandong Taishan Lose 0-3 to Harbor Again and Miss Out on AFC Champions League Route

On September 1, 2026, Shandong Taishan lost 0-3 at home to Shanghai Harbor in the FA Cup quarterfinals and were eliminated in the last eight.

Three days earlier, 33-year-old midfielder Li Yuanyi had just returned from injury and came off the bench to provide the winning assist in Taishan's 3-2 comeback victory over Shanghai Shenhua. In this decisive match, he was neither in the starting lineup nor given a substitute appearance.

The club did not provide any specific explanation after the match.

The defeat directly meant Taishan lost the FA Cup route to the 2027/28 AFC Champions League Elite qualification, leaving only the Chinese Super League this season as a path to an international competition spot.

This is a set of facts that is almost impossible to reconcile.

On August 28, in the 25th round of the Chinese Super League away against Shenhua, Li Yuanyi returned to the match squad for the first time after injury. After coming on as a substitute, he delivered a low through pass in the 83rd minute to assist Li Xiaoheng's close-range finish. Taishan scored twice within four minutes to complete a 3-2 comeback and secure three crucial points for avoiding relegation and competing for an AFC Champions League place.

Just three days later in the FA Cup single-elimination match, the same player and the same team produced a result of zero appearances, zero explanation, and zero goals.

Taishan currently have 33 points in the Chinese Super League and rank fourth, with only a two-point gap over the teams behind them. Each of the remaining seven league matches will be difficult.

FA Cup elimination has shifted all the pressure onto the league.

To understand this contrast, it is necessary to return to the summer of 2026.

On July 22, the Chinese Super League summer transfer window closed, and Taishan were one of the few strong teams in the league that made no signings.

During the same transfer window, they let six first-team mid-generation players leave, leaving their squad depth noticeably weaker compared with other strong teams.

At that time, Li Yuanyi was recovering from injury, and the team had to use Gao Zhunyi as an emergency defensive midfielder in rotation.

This squad could still maintain results in the league, but when cup competitions required more depth, the problems were directly exposed.

Li Yuanyi's absence due to injury began in late June 2026.

Before that, in 16 league rounds, he made 17 appearances, averaging 2.3 interceptions and 1.8 tackles per match, ranking second among the team's midfielders in defensive statistics.

His absence directly created clear weaknesses in Taishan's midfield defensive system, which was also one reason the club did not bring in midfield reinforcements during the summer window.

On August 20, Li Yuanyi officially returned to full-team training, participating throughout group drills, and his condition met match standards.

Many observers believed he would be a starter in upcoming key matches, but the FA Cup lineup decision changed that expectation.

Looking back at last season.

In the 2025 FA Cup final, Taishan lost 1-3 to Shanghai Harbor.

In this season's quarterfinals, they again lost 0-3 to the same opponent in the same competition.

Both defeats were by large margins, and both resulted in cup elimination.

The difference is that Taishan had a complete squad available for the 2025 final, while their midfield setup in the 2026 match had been depleted by summer departures and injuries.

Acting head coach Tang Tian publicly stated before the match that 'the whole team is ready for a final-level battle and will give everything in every FA Cup match,' but there was a clear gap between the lineup decisions and that statement.

As of now, the club, coaching staff, and Li Yuanyi himself have not issued an official explanation regarding his absence.

Li Yuanyi's working contract with Taishan expires on December 31, 2026, leaving less than four months.

According to Chinese Super League rules, players can contact and negotiate with other clubs within six months before their contracts expire, meaning he has been eligible to do so since July 1.

Public information shows differing views on the renewal talks. Some media reports say they are ongoing, while some self-media reports claim they have completely broken down, but neither side has officially confirmed this.

Whether he will remain with the team until the contract expires, leave as a free agent, or whether a signing fee is involved cannot currently be proven by official information.

What can be confirmed is that he remains on Taishan's first-team training list and has not been included in transfer announcements.

At the same time, veterans around the age of 33 such as Wang Tong have also missed squad lists for multiple consecutive rounds recently, indicating the team's move toward younger selections is not only aimed at Li Yuanyi.

However, Li Yuanyi's situation is special because he was sidelined after a strong comeback performance rather than being replaced during a long absence.

There is currently no reasonable explanation available.

Taishan have 33 points and rank fourth in the Chinese Super League, with seven matches remaining to compete for an AFC Champions League qualification place. The FA Cup route has already closed.

Li Yuanyi's contract expires at the end of the year, and the club's cost-cutting approach of making no summer signings and allowing multiple players to leave continues.

The exact kickoff time for the next Chinese Super League match has not yet been officially announced by the Chinese Football Association, but it is clear that Taishan's personnel decisions across the league and cup competitions have developed a publicly visible contradiction.