At a crucial moment, Chengdu Rongcheng held steady, and Wei Shihao maintained composure.

Reporter Lu Mi reports. In the quarter-finals of the 2025 Chinese FA Cup, a key match unfolded as Chengdu Rongcheng defeated Qingdao Hainiu 2-1 away, once again reaching the semifinals following last season. Wei Shihao scored twice with both a header and a kick, while Gurlfinkel provided two precise assists. After entering the semifinals, Rongcheng will face Henan, aiming for the club's first FA Cup title.

In this match, Xu Zhengyuan made some personnel adjustments. Up front, Wei Shihao played as the center forward, with Felipe on the bench. After Hu Hetao's injury, Gan Chao, who had been playing as a right wing-back, also took a rest, with young player Wang Dongsheng stepping in. Youngster Liao Rongxiang made his first start for the first team, and midfielder Romulo was rested as well. The two teams had a significant gap in league standings, and with Chengdu Rongcheng also facing a crucial league match against Beijing Guoan this weekend, advancing in the FA Cup with minimal cost was essential.

Last week, some internal club issues affected the match, and Wei Shihao became a focal point of discussion after his family was insulted. The team needed a victory, especially in a high-stakes match, to boost morale.

Although Qingdao Hainiu had heavy relegation tasks, they still fielded a strong lineup. In the 16th minute, Hainiu's midfield core Saric was injured and left the field, giving Chengdu Rongcheng absolute control of the game as they advanced from the back. However, without Romulo linking play and lacking Felipe's support, the efficiency of crosses was low, with the most threatening shots coming from Yan Dinghao's through balls aimed at Wei Shihao.

However, due to some discomfort caused by personnel adjustments, Rongcheng's attacking efficiency was not high. Especially after Hainiu's Rosenwen was sent off in the 30th minute, even with the numerical advantage, Rongcheng did not dominate the game. The physical contacts between both teams led to frequent stoppages, making the first half quite fragmented. In the dying moments of stoppage time, Delgado committed a retaliatory foul on Sun Zhengao while off the ball, prompting VAR intervention, and the referee decisively issued a straight red card, resulting in a 10 vs. 10 situation.

This level of exhaustion was clearly not what Xu Zhengyuan and Chengdu Rongcheng desired, so at the start of the second half, they made two substitutions: Yang Mingyang replaced Yan Dinghao, and Felipe came on for Liao Rongxiang. After Felipe entered, his role as a pivot in the attack was evident, providing Wei Shihao with more space to make runs. In the 52nd minute, Gurlfinkel delivered a precise cross from the left, allowing Wei Shihao to score; subsequently, Chengdu Rongcheng's offense opened up completely, with overall quality far surpassing that of the first half. Gurlfinkel even hit the crossbar with a header while unmarked. In terms of bench depth, despite not having new signings, Chengdu Rongcheng still held a significant advantage over relegation teams.

In the 72nd minute, Felipe, Gurlfinkel, and Wei Shihao executed a combination play, with Gurlfinkel assisting Wei Shihao for his second goal. Although Qingdao Hainiu's forward Rankel Ze scored a spectacular individual goal in the 88th minute, Rongcheng's goalkeeper Liu Dianz座 repeatedly thwarted the opponent's attacks, ultimately preserving the victory until the final whistle.

It is often said that the remedy for most team issues is victory. Over the past week, Chengdu Rongcheng, from the club to the head coach and core players, has been in the whirlpool of public opinion. Before this match, Chengdu Rongcheng had just suffered a defeat against Tianjin Jinmen Tiger, dropping to fourth in the league standings, widening the gap with leaders Shanghai Shenhua to seven points, casting a shadow over their title hopes. This victory allowed Chengdu Rongcheng to reach the FA Cup semifinals for the second consecutive season, injecting confidence into the team at a critical moment and temporarily alleviating previous troubles, while also providing the best motivation for the upcoming league showdown against Beijing Guoan at home.