he Chinese Super League made headlines around the world this off season by spending huge amounts of money in the European market. Big names look nice on paper and on the back of kits, but how will that translate to play on the field? We hear from Jamie McIlroy, Cameron Wilson,bcheng, and Adem Ali about what they think the 2016 CSL season has in store.
Who will be the 2016 CSL champion?
Who will be the 2016 CSL champion?
Jamie: Guangzhou Evergrande are probably still the favourites, but I think Shanghai SIPG could sneak it this year. They came close last season and have added proven Super League quality in Elkeson. Also, their core of Chinese players are still young and will be better this year. I do think they lack a bit of squad depth, though, so if they get injuries and struggle to balance the league and ACL they could fall short.
Cameron: It will definitely be between Guangzhou Evergrande and Shanghai International Port Group. Evergrande were unlucky with injuries last year yet still won a domestic and continental double so they of course will be fancied strongly again. But Shanghai International Port Group pulled a fast one signing Elkeson. They haven’t really signed anyone else, which is a good thing, they already had a strong domestic squad and continuity will see them win their maiden title this year.
Bcheng: It’s gotta be Evergrande once again, right? They have dominated & there’s no reason to see them dropping off this year.
Adem: After almost losing the title to Shanghai SIPG last year Guangzhou Evergrande went out and got Jackson Martinez. A title winning squad just added a possible 15-20 goals and I think this season won’t be as exciting for the race to first as last year. Evergrande are still too good and as last season showed with the appointment of Scolari they can afford to make the changes mid-season if need be.
Who will be runners up?
Jamie: It’s hard to see Evergrande finishing outside of the top two, so if SIPG do top the table the Canton side will be number two. World Club Cup aside, they haven’t lost a competitive game since Scolari took over and they’ve obviously added Jackson Martinez since then, too. That being said, other teams are catching up and they should certainly drop a few more points this year. I hope they fall short just to keep things interesting.
Cameron: I think Guangzhou Evergrande.
Bcheng: SIPG. They are strong top to bottom but likely will fall just short.
Adem: I could really see Shandong taking second. They improved on their squad by signing centre back Gil from Corinthians and Shanghai SIPG have lost Tobias Hysen. SIPG did bring in proven CSL goal scorer Elkeson from Evergrande however last season he only managed 7 league goals and may have injury problems. Asamoah Gyan also didn’t look too great last year or in this year’s AFC play off qualifier against Thai side Muangthong United.
Can Elkeson fire Shanghai SIPG to the title?
Who will finish third and fourth?
Jamie: Shandong should be good enough to finish third again and may actually be heavily involved in the title race, too. They haven’t made eye catching signings like other teams, but it was their defence which let them down last year and adding Gil means they should concede far fewer goals. They’ve got also got a deep domestic squad. However, they need Aloisio to recapture last season’s form if they’re going to seriously be in the title mix.
Beijin Guo’an are definitely in with a shot of making the top four again, but Jiangsu Suning might just pip them. It’s a little too early for Suning to make a title challenge, but Teixeira and Ramires are going to push them a long way up the table if they stay fit. Ramires, flanked by Wu Xi, is going to make Suning a force in the middle of the park and that could carry them into the top 4.
Cameron: I think Shandong will be third. New coach should get more out of a strong squad, fourth, I’m going to go for Jiangsu Suning. They made some huge signings but their domestic squad is weak, if their big money foreigners don’t fit it, they’ll struggle to finish in the top half. But I think they will be fine.
Bcheng: Jiangsu & Shandong. Shandong is strong but probably will trail the top 2, Jiangsu will be so much better but will need time to gel.
Adem: Either Shandong or SIPG will get third and fourth will probably go to Beijing Guoan or Jiangsu Suning. Guoan made some alright signings in Renato Augusto and Burak Yilmaz however I feel they didn’t address their poor back line. Last season Guoan’s defenders looked slow and old. Returning Uzbekistan defender Egor Krimets will help improve things, but not that much. Jiangsu may now have the cash to improve during the summer window if things aren’t going well and a lot of time that makes a big difference in the CSL. So if Guoan are leaking goals and Jiangsu throw more money at the European market I think Jiangsu will finish fourth.
Which two team will be relegated?
Jamie: Yanbian are everybody’s favourites but, as someone who saw a lot of them in League One last season, I’m backing them to stay up. Instead, I’ll pick Tianjin TEDA and Changchun Yatai to drop out of a threatened group that also includes Hangzhou Greentown and Liaoning Whowin. Tianjin were kept up by Hernan Barcos last year and now he’s gone their aging domestic squad might not have what it takes to survive. Hangzhou’s group of young players should be a little better this year and give them the impetus to stay up, making it a toss up between Changchun and Liaoning. At least until they’ve signed the rest of their foreign players, I’m going with the former.
Cameron: Very hard to say. I think half of the league could realistically be considered candidates this year. If forced to plump for two, I’d say two of the more established teams will slip away this year – Tianjin and Liaoning. Just feel they haven’t strengthened much and the new teams coming up have spent either a lot or wisely.
Bcheng: Yanbian & Tianjin. Yanbian is an easy pick, they don’t seem ready for the big time, the other choice is much harder but Tianjin is as bad as anybody.
Adem: I think this year Hangzhou will finally be relegated. No big improvements to last season’s squad which faced relegation and with their sale of number 1 keeper to Jiangsu I can’t see them surviving another year. As for the other team it is a toss-up between Changchun and Guangzhou R&F. Both teams faced relegation last year and have done little to improve their squads.
Which team will surprise fans this season?
Jamie: Yanbian.
Cameron: With all the global attention and new wave of big names, plus two very interesting promoted sides, everyone is expecting to be surprised. I think Yanbian will be this year’s dark horse and finish well clear of the relegation slots.
Bcheng: This is a hard one, there seems to be so much division between the top 4 sides & pretty much everybody else…It’s unlikely we’ll see a real surprise this year
Adem: I think Shanghai Shenhua may get some good results against top clubs like Shandong, Evergrande and SIPG. A full season of Demba Ba could give Shenhua a chance to snatch some wins and cause the title race to be interesting.
How will your local team do?
Jamie: Not very well. Wuhan Zall have again stated promotion as the goal this season, but it’s hard to see them getting anywhere near the top two. They finished tenth last year and spent most of the second half of the season playing 20-year-olds. Ironically, the only two who looked remotely ready for the first team are loanees who have returned to their parent clubs and so there is no reason for optimism. The three foreign signings have actually been pretty good, but zero movement on the domestic front means another season in mid-table beckons.
Cameron: Shenhua have strengthened their squad this year but not enough to break into the top 4. Letting Sissoko go after barely 6 months at the club was another piece of short-termism which saw a player who was pivotal to the whole team’s tactics leave. Guarin may come with a good pedigree, but he’s not the same sort of player. Besides, we already have a Colombian playmaker. Manzano is also a rather uninspiring choice for new coach although his CSL experience could prove useful. Expect Shenhua to finish 6th again, struggle to win away from home, change two foreigners in the summer, and have a new coach again this time next year.
Bcheng: Beijing will finish in the top 4 & hopefully a long cup run.
Adem: I think Beijing Guoan made a good move bringing in Alberto Zaccheroni and if Guoan succeed a lot of it will have to do with him. I was no fan of Gregorio Manzano and hope Guoan start playing a more attractive style of football again. I would be happy with AFC champions league qualification and I think that is all Zacheroni should be expected to get in his first season.
New Guangzhou Evergrande signing looks set to score goals.
What was the best signing made during the 2016 winter window?
Jamie: That depends on whether you take value for money into account. I really think Ramires is going to boss a lot of games this year, but he didn’t come cheap. Teixeira is probably going to be an absolute star in the CSL and Jackson Martinez is likely to score a hatful of goals, but they came even less cheap. Renato Augusto could prove to be a very good acquisition for Beijing Guo’an given that he seems to be just hitting his peak. Still, it could turn out to be Elkeson if he gives SIPG the extra push they need to win the title.
Cameron: Difficult question. Maybe Elkeson joining Shanghai International Port Group? At least he is a proven CSL success, the other big money signings in the CSL could easily turn out to be moreLucas Barrioses or Nicolas Anelkas.
Bcheng: Ding Haifeng or Yilmaz. Ding is a rally good player & Hebei got him for a decent price. With Yilmaz, Guoan got him at a bargain price, I’d imagine done other CSL sides would have to pay a lot more & I expect he’ll score 15+ goals.
Adem: It’s hard to look past Jackson Martinez. He is a real goal threat and should entertain Evergrande fans/neutrals. Jiangsu signing Ramires from Chelsea is also a big money move that caught headlines around the world. As for a less publicized signing I will go with Fredy Montero. The former Seattle Sounders striker is talented and could fit in well playing in the CSL. The Colombian had some success playing for Sporting CP in Portugal and his move to China at just 28 years old is slightly surprising.
Who will be the 2016 CFA player of the year?
Jamie: Based on my title prediction, lets say Dario Conca. Just like last year, Henan Jianye’s Ivo for player of the year not on a “big” team.
Cameron: Elkeson. He didn’t have a great year last season, but, seems everyone has forgotten he’s only what, 26? The move to Shanghai International Port Group will re-vitalize his China career as will the new wave of big names to play against.
Bcheng: Honestly impossible to say at this time.
Adem: Jackson Martinez. I really expect the former Atletico Madrid and Porto man to bag in the goals.
Who will be the 2016 golden boot winner?
Jamie: Provided he recaptures his Porto form, Jackson Martinez is going to score an awful lot of goals as the spearhead of Evergrande’s attack. If not Aloisio could claim the prize for a second year running. SIPG will also score plenty of goals, but they’re likely to be evenly spread around their attacking riches.
Cameron: Elkeson again. There’s a disturbing Shanghai International Port Group trend in my predictions you may have noticed. Call it a form of emotional insurance.
Bcheng: Best guess is Gervinho. Hebei will rely on him more than most of the other sides will rely on their foreigner & he has the speed to abuse the majority of CSL defenders.
Adem: Same as I mentioned above. Jackson Martinez.
Who will be the 2016 domestic golden boot winner?
Jamie: It’s hard to look beyond Wu Lei doing it again. Unless Evergrande go through another injury crisis, Gao Lin probably won’t get the chance to score as many as he did last season and it’s hard to see anyone else coming close. Outside bets on Yang Xu if he can make a period of form last more than a few games and Jiang Ning if Hebei’s attack featuring Gervinho and Lavezzi really clicks into place.
Cameron: Wu Lei. No other Chinese forward will get as much pitch time as him never mind the chance to score.
Wu Lei, the best among local talent.
Bcheng: Well, no reason to look beyond Wu Lei, among Chinese players he seems to be best at making an impact in the attack.
Adem: Probably same as last year, Wu Lei. As China proved during their World Cup qualifiers they aren’t a nation known for their striking options and a modest haul of 10-12 goals will get you the domestic golden boot.
The 2016 CSL season starts the first weekend of March. Match tickets can be purchased through official club websites or friendly folks around stadiums. Check back with Wild East Football for news, match day reports and more.
ACL MD1 - GROUP H: GUANGZHOU EVERGRANDE 0-0 POHANG STEELERS
Guangzhou: Defending champions Guangzhou Evergrande made a stuttering start to the defence of their AFC Champions League title on Wednesday as the Chinese Super League champions were held to a goalless draw by Korea Republic’s Pohang Steelers at Tianhe Sport Center.
Luiz Felipe Scolari’s Guangzhou, who beat Al Ahli from the United Arab Emirates 1-0 on aggregate in last year’s final to claim a second continental title in three years, enjoyed the better of the chances against play-off winners Pohang but failed to find a breakthrough.
And with Japan’s Urawa Red Diamonds earlier beating Sydney FC 2-0, Guangzhou find themselves off the early pace in Group H ahead of next week’s trip to Australia.
“This is a fair result. We were short of some good match tempo and we haven't reached where we were last year. We went to Dubai for winter training, but ended up with only one training match. Now we are having some difficulties, but this game is within my expectations. What we were missing was one goal,” said Guangzhou coach Scolari.
“Jackson Martinez has been with us 12 days only and it will take time for him settle in. We were not in the shape for playing real matches. We will work on it. A match every four days won't kill us, but we will play in turns for four or five positions due to tactical reasons, not physical reasons.
“We are still two or three matches away from having the right season vibe back.”
Pohang, who won the AFC Champions League in 2009, return home for the visit of Urawa next Wednesday following a resolute defensive display in Southern China.
Having added to their 2013 success over Korea’s FC Seoul with a hard-fought win over Al Ahli at the end of last year, Guangzhou started marginally on the front foot and should have taken the lead after 25 minutes, but 2015 AFC Champions League MVP and top scorer Ricardo Goulart stabbed wide from eight yards out with the goal at his mercy after the Brazilian had ghosted into the penalty area to meet a left wing free-kick.
Goulart, who netted eight goals as Guangzhou won the AFC Champions League last year, continued to be the best outlet for the home side but again failed to find the target from a promising position inside the area five minutes before half-time.
New signing Jackson Martinez took over for Guangzhou at the start of the second half, but the Colombian also failed to find the target for the home side.
Goulart finally tested Pohang goalkeeper Shin Hwa-yong after the hour mark, but the Brazilian shot straight at the visiting custodian from inside the area before compatriot Paulinho sliced the rebound off target.
And after surviving strong pressure from the home side in the closing stages, three-time Asian champions Pohang added to their 3-0 play-off win over Vietnam’s Hanoi T&T with a hard-fought point.
“Today it was a very difficult game, but we saw our potential. We were not very good at converting opportunities into goals, but generally speaking we did well,” said Pohang coach Choi Jin-cheul.
“We hoped to move our defense a bit further, but Evergrande were very aggressive and we couldn't keep it. It was hard to form counterattacks. We had to get by with that.
“Evergrande has many talents, and their control of the ball is also good. They are the defending champion and deserve the title. But when we are home later, we will be more confident and have faith to win the match.”
ACL MD1 - GROUP E: BECAMEX BINH DUONG 1-1 JIANGSU FC
Thu Dau Mot City: Ji Xiang and Nguyen Anh Duc were on target for either side as China’s Jiangsu FC were held to a 1-1 draw by 10-man Becamex Binh Duong from Vietnam in the AFC Champions League Group E opener on Tuesday.
Ji put the Chinese FA Cup winners in front after 13 minutes at Binh Duong Stadium, but captain Anh Duc restored parity for the Vietnamese champions with a penalty just before the half hour mark.
And although Cameroon forward Christian Amougou was sent-off after 68 minutes, the hosts were able to hang on for a well-earned point.
“I am satisfied with the result and the spirit our players showed. They played well and with very good concentration,” said Binh Duong coach Nguyen Thanh Son.
“We had a good preparation for this game with a good plan and we showed good tactical play during the game.
“We have plans for each game one-by-one because the AFC Champions League is a very tough tournament.”
After a positive start for the visitors, midfielder Ji netted the first goal of the 2016 AFC Champions League as he fired in Jo’s pull-back from the left from 12 yards out.
And another Brazilian debutant, Ramires, was nearly involved in a second goal as his acrobatic scissor-kick from Jo’s headed flick-on sailed narrowly over the crossbar.
The hosts were not overawed by Jiangsu, though, and Amougou went close with a header on 22 minutes.
And after a foul on Amougou’s strike partner Henry Kisekka by Jiangsu defender Liu Wei inside the area resulted in a penalty to the home side, composed captain Anh Duc coolly despatched the spot-kick on 28 minutes with a chipped effort.
Jiangsu came out strongly after the restart with Wu Xi, Xin Lin and Jo all going close to restoring the Chinese Super League side’s lead as marquee signing Alex Teixeira began to increase his influence on the game.
Binh Duong tried to respond, but their efforts suffered a blow with 22 minutes remaining as Amougou received his marching orders after receiving his second yellow card of the match.
Jiangsu attempted to take advantage of their numerical superiority, but Binh Duong goalkeeper Bui Tan Truong was in inspired form, and along with his defenders, proved an obstacle too big to overcome for the away side.
“It was a pity we could not win this game. We put them under a lot of pressure, created more scoring chances and Binh Duong had only 10 players for 30 minutes,” said Jiangsu coach Dan Petrescu.
“I’m disappointed by the result and I think our players did not play with their best physical condition because it’s so hot.
“Ramires, Jo and Teixeira played well but three days preparation in Binh Duong was not enough for them and the other players.”
ACL MD1 - GROUP F: SANFRECCE HIROSHIMA 1–2 SHANDONG LUNENG
Hiroshima: Yang Xu and Diego Tardelli again scored as China’s Shandong Luneng began their AFC Champions League campaign with a 2-1 comeback win over Japanese champions Sanfrecce Hiroshima on Tuesday.
Sanfrecce’s Kohei Shimizu opened the scoring four minutes after the hour mark of a tight contest at Hiroshima Athletic Stadium only for Yang, who netted six times in the AFC Champions League last year, to hit back for the visitors just three minutes later.
And with Tardelli stabbing home with 12 minutes remaining after the Brazilian striker and Yang had also scored as Shandong secured their place in the group stage with a 2-1 win over Australia’s Adelaide United in the play-offs earlier this month, Mano Menezes’s side claimed all three points.
“Facing a strong team, the game turned out a tough one as we had expected. We had some problems in controlling the ball earlier in the game, but we tried to play with our team work and stay collectively, and we earned three points,” said Shandong coach Menezes
“Our coaching team has been with the team for about two months and we have scored three wins including today’s so far. In all these three matches, our players showed wonderful performance according to our plans.
“From every game you can learn something even from your opponents. Today in particular, in our first game in the ACL, the very important one, we played against a strong team and earned three points. That’s what I am happy about and it should bring confidence to our players.”
Both sides started an open contest brightly, but failed to create a clear cut chance with Shandong’s Tardelli the most likely to break the deadlock in the opening 20 minutes.
The home side then finished the half on the front foot as Peter Utaka and Tsukasa Shiotani both had chances for Sanfrecce.
And Sanfrecce should have opened the scoring in the last minute of the first half as Utaka’s deft first-time pass played in Takuma Asano, but with only goalkeeper Wang Dalei to beat, the striker failed to find the target with an attempted chip.
Sanfrecce continued to have the edge in terms of attacking threat as Asano shot over the crossbar on the hour mark.
And the home side were rewarded four minutes later as Shandong were unable to fully clear Shiotani’s cross from the right and Shimizu expertly brought the ball down on his chest before firing a crisp strike into the top corner from just inside the edge of the penalty area
Shandong, though, were behind for just three minutes as Yang met a left wing corner at the front post and guided a stooping header into the back of the net.
And with 12 minutes remaining Shandong completed the turnaround as Tardelli was on hand to stab home from the edge of the six yard area after an attempted cross from substitute Wu Xinghan had fortunately deflected into the path of the striker at the back post.
Sanfrecce pushed for the equaliser in the closing stages, but the home side found goalkeeper Wang on the top of his game.
“It was a pity that we couldn’t win our first game at home and couldn’t bring the win to our supporters to make them feel happy,” said Sanfrecce coach Hajime Moriyasu.
“It was the game we had to win. We had 20 shooting attempts and I don’t think we played bad, but we couldn’t lead them to winning the game, and that is something that we have to work on. Scoring a goal out of 20 attempts is not enough.
“We also gave away the equaliser three minutes after our goal. That is also what we have to make sure, to establish so that we can keep a lead and score an additional goal.
“We lost our opening match, but we still have five matches to go. It can get harder as we lost today, but we still have a good possibility to get through the stage.”
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