Dalian, June 6 (Reporter Bian Liqun) "There will be a holiday next, many players are not very experienced in relegation, they spend time with their families to relax, and then come back. At the post-match press conference of the 10-2 draw with Beijing Guoan, Dalian coach Xie Hui said with some disappointment.
The Chinese Super League, which has played 2 rounds in the past two months, has finally entered a short hiatus.
Promising teams can get a rare respite, but they will continue to be under pressure for teams with less-than-ideal results.
With the end of the first phase of the Chinese Super League, the situation of title and relegation this season has become clearer.
Chinese Super League standings. Image source: Chinese Super League
The first group had many surprises
The Chinese Super League has quickly crossed a third of its fixture schedule this season. In contrast, the championship group has quite a few surprises. Tianjin Jinmen Tigers have exceeded many expectations, and are currently unbeaten with 4 wins and 8 draws, ranking 4th in the Super League. Chengdu Rongcheng have won 6 and drawn 6 and are unbeaten in 26 games across the season, ranking 3rd.
Shanghai Shenhua also had a surprise that exceeded expectations, and remained stable despite the relatively large adjustment of the lineup, currently ranking second with 7 wins, 4 draws and 1 loss. Shanghai Port, which has the blessing of big star Oscar and 7 international players, currently leads the table with 9 wins, 2 draws and 1 defeat, which is more in line with external expectations.
Surprisingly, Shandong Taishan, a traditional powerhouse team that also has many international players, and Wuhan Three Towns, the defending champions, are mediocre, ranking 6th and 8th respectively. Beijing Guoan, which is still in the run-in period, temporarily ranked 7th after the draw against Dalian.
The overall reversal between the mid-table group composed of these three strong teams and the "dark horse" teams of the championship-contender group is a highlight different from previous seasons.
Data map: Beijing Guoan and Tianjin Jinmen Tiger competition. Photo by China News Agency reporter Tomita
The relegation quagmire is intense
Due to the relatively average strength of the relegation zone teams this season, as many as 7 teams are currently at risk of relegation, including Cangzhou Lions, Henan Team, Shenzhen Team, Meizhou Hakka, Nantong Zhiyun, Qingdao Manatee and Dalian Renren. The 10th-placed Cangzhou Lions are only 5 points above the relegation zone.
Among the relegation areas, the relatively dangerous ones are Nantong Zhiyun, Qingdao Manatee and Dalian people. Trapped in the strength of the squad, it is still difficult to break the game without too many strong core foreign players and local players.
For example, the Dalian Renren team, which drew against Beijing Guoan, have conceded goals in the last 6 minutes in as many as six games this season, losing valuable wins or draws that they should have had.
Dalian coach Xie Hui also said frankly at the post-match press conference, "Our performance after leading is related to strength, not only psychological problems, but also strength. Some players move out of shape, maybe there is not enough experience in such a game. It's a bit of a pity, but our whole team did our best. ”
Dalian people drew 2:2 with Beijing Guoan. Photo by China News Network reporter Bian Liqun
Will there be surprises
With almost two-thirds left in the league, everything is still possible for a long season. For example, Zhejiang, who finished at the bottom of the season, immediately climbed to the middle of the league after three consecutive wins. Shandong Taishan team won 3 wins and 2 draws after the change of coach, and quickly climbed from the bottom of the standings to the upper part.
However, given the intensive schedule this season, with only two breaks in September and October, there may be a situation of being left behind for teams with weaker squads.
And the team with unsatisfactory results wants to adjust by changing coaches or recruits, and the time will be very tight, and there is not much time to run.
Another factor that has to be paid attention to is how the Chinese Super League teams, which have been recruited with a large number of Asian Games internationals, should deal with it at that time?
The latest training list of the national football Asian Games team. Image source: China Football Association website
According to the plan, the football match of the Asian Games will be held from September 9 to October 23, plus the team training and warm-up in the early stage, which is likely to cover three rounds of Chinese Super League matches.
According to the latest training list of the national football Asian Games team, it will have a greater impact on Shanghai Shenhua, who are competing for the championship, and Dalianren, who are deep in the relegation area. The former has as many as 7 people selected, and the latter has 3 people selected, most of whom are the team's main key players.
For example, He Yupeng and Wang Zhenao of Dalian Renren are already two indispensable full-backs for the team, and for the relegation team with a weak team, the huge impact of missing three rounds is imaginable. Shanghai Shenhua, who is good at defense, has a predictable impact after being pulled out of two young main central defenders.
In the post-match interview, Xie Hui said: "We can only explore the potential internally, for any team, the interests of the national team are paramount, but in terms of specific arrangements, I hope to be in line with international standards in the future." (End)