Dawan Receives Only Six-Game Ban After Striking Two People; Beijing Guoan and Dalian Both Have 37 Points, Potential Cup Reunion Raises FA Cup Tension

On September 2, 2026, Yunnan Yukun defeated Chongqing Tonglianglong 1-0, completing the FA Cup semi-final lineup: Beijing Guoan, Shanghai Port, Dalian Yingbo Haifa and Yunnan Yukun. One China League side and three Chinese Super League teams are on the same starting line in the bracket, with the semi-final matchups set as Beijing Guoan vs Shanghai Port and Yunnan Yukun vs Dalian Yingbo Haifa. However, what gives this FA Cup edition its storyline is not the draw itself, but the incident involving Beijing Guoan foreign player Dawan, who struck two people after the August CSL match against Dalian Yingbo and received only a six-game suspension. The punishment has been viewed as relatively light compared with similar recent CSL violations, creating tension between the two teams at a point when they could potentially meet in the FA Cup final. The incident occurred in late August 2026 during CSL round 25, when Beijing Guoan hosted Dalian Yingbo Haifa. Dawan was involved in a physical altercation after the match, and on August 31 the Chinese Football Association issued a disciplinary announcement confirming a six-game suspension. It is worth noting that the suspension only covers CSL matches and does not include FA Cup or AFC Champions League games. This means that if Beijing Guoan reaches the FA Cup final, Dawan can play normally, while Dalian Yingbo players may face an opponent who had struck their teammate during a league match. This rule detail has extended the dispute from the league into the cup competition. After CSL round 25, Beijing Guoan had 37 points and ranked second, while Dalian Yingbo Haifa also had 37 points and ranked fourth. The two teams were level on points, close in league position, and could meet again in the cup. Such symmetry in points is uncommon in the CSL and suggests the two teams have been at a similar competitive level this season. Looking back to September 1, 2026, the two FA Cup quarter-finals on that day showed some signs of the current situation. Dalian Yingbo Haifa visited Shanghai Shenhua, and goalkeeper Huang Zihao received a straight red card only five minutes into the match, forcing the team to play with ten men.

Playing with one fewer player, Dalian Yingbo eventually won 1-0 and completed a season double over Shenhua.

On the same matchday, Beijing Guoan defeated Lanzhou Longyuan Athletic 3-1 at Beijing Workers' Stadium. The match was originally scheduled in Lanzhou but was moved to Beijing for reasons not specified, allowing Guoan to advance with home advantage.

In the two quarter-finals, one team came back despite being reduced to ten men, while another advanced steadily at home. Their styles were different, but the results were the same, and two semi-finalists arrived with clear momentum.

In another quarter-final on the same day, Shanghai Port defeated Shandong Taishan 3-0, showing a level of form that contrasted sharply with their CSL round-25 ranking of seventh place with only 32 points.

Shanghai Port's strong cup performance directly changed expectations for their semi-final against Beijing Guoan. A matchup previously considered to favor Guoan became less one-sided after Port's convincing win.

In the other half of the bracket, Yunnan Yukun eliminated Chongqing Tonglianglong 1-0. They sit sixth in the CSL standings, only two points behind fourth-placed Dalian Yingbo Haifa.

This means neither of the two semi-finals on November 21 is a clearly uneven matchup.

Returning to September, Beijing Guoan face a very congested schedule.

On September 5, they will play Shanghai Port away from home in CSL round 26, which is also a direct meeting between the two teams before their FA Cup semi-final.

On September 15, Guoan will host Pohang Steelers in the first round of the AFC Champions League Elite. On September 3, the club released tickets for its four AFC Champions League home matches, with prices ranging from 479 yuan to 1,299 yuan across multiple Workers' Stadium areas.

The pressure of competing on three fronts is clear. Dawan's suspension only affects CSL matches, and he can play in cup and AFC Champions League competitions, which is a practical advantage for Guoan but has also drawn sensitivity from Dalian Yingbo's side: a player suspended for a league incident can still appear in cup matches.

From a rules perspective, the 2026 FA Cup semi-finals use a single-match format rather than home-and-away legs, with one game deciding the winner.

This creates more uncertainty for lower-ranked or inconsistent teams, and Dalian Yingbo Haifa reaching the semi-finals as a China League team is itself a product of this format.

If Beijing Guoan and Dalian Yingbo do meet in the final, Dawan's suspension will already have ended. A championship match between the two teams carrying the unresolved league history would have its storyline further amplified by the single-match format.

The authorities have not yet announced the host city or exact date of the FA Cup final. Previously, unofficial sources mentioned Suzhou Olympic Sports Centre, but the Chinese Football Association has not released any related announcement, so the information cannot be confirmed.

What is confirmed is that the two semi-finals will be played on November 21, along with Beijing Guoan's two important matches against Shanghai Port away on September 5 and Pohang Steelers at home on September 15.

The Dalian Yingbo versus Yunnan Yukun semi-final will also take place on November 21. The two teams are separated by only two points in this season's league standings and are closely matched.

The dispute between the two teams currently remains at the level of the league incident and suspension punishment. Dalian Yingbo Haifa have not issued any public statement regarding a potential FA Cup meeting.

Beijing Guoan have also not made any additional response regarding the scale of Dawan's punishment.

The Chinese Football Association's disciplinary announcement clearly stated that striking another person resulted in a six-game suspension, without explaining why the number was six rather than longer.

This number itself remains the biggest point of controversy. It has not faded over time and has become more relevant as the FA Cup schedule progresses.