Luis Asue's hat-trick powers Shanghai Shenhua to FA Cup quarters

Shanghai Shenhua cruised into the quarterfinals of the Chinese FA Cup with a 4-1 home victory over Qingdao Hainiu, thanks to a first-half hat-trick from Luis Asue.  

The match took an unexpected turn early on, as Qingdao's Zheng Chuanhui showed some good play early on, threading a pass to Ghanaian forward Yaw Yeboah, who deftly fired home from a tight angle, sending shockwaves among the home crowd.

Shenhua quickly regrouped, equalizing just five minutes later. Gao Tianyi delivered a cross which Equatorial Guinea international Asue rose high toward and powered a header into the net, leveling the score. The host team took control in the 17th minute when captain Wu Xi chipped a clever ball to Asue, who hit powerfully to notch his second goal of the night. 

In the 26th minute, Rafael Ratao showcased his skill with a volley that propelled Shenhua to a 3-1 lead. Controlling a throw-in with finesse, he hammered the ball past goalkeeper Mewlan Jappar, further upsetting Qingdao's momentum.

Just before the break, Gao struck again, sending in a cross from the left that 25-year-old Asue spectacularly converted with a scissors kick, completing his hat-trick in style.  

While both teams then showed attacking intent later on, no further goals were added as Shenhua sealed a 4-1 win. Now, under the stewardship of the well-travelled Russian coach Leonid Slutsky, the four-time champions advance to face Dalian Yingbo in the quarterfinals.