CSL 2010 Thread

i can understand why they'd take away a spot from China considering the CSL's performance over the past few years in the competition, but it seems pretty mickey mouse on the part of the AFC if they take away spots for the 2011 competition at this point where clubs are expecting finishing 4th will mean an ACL spot.

 

********! I was planning on making the trip to Shenyang next weekend for the Guoan game for the sole reason of seeing him play. He's had a pretty good year and have to give him credit for how good Liaoning is doing, he is sort of a coach on the field, this was probably going to be his last year anyways, but what a sad end...

 

For both sides its obviously a big match, but not a hard ticket at all, as late as yesterday tickets were still available on the official ticketing website (now down because too late to deliver in time). Unlike the Tianjin match, the police presence around the stadium should be minimal and the scalpers should be out in force. Pay no more than RMB50 for your ticket (though you should be able to negotiate it down to RMB30, especially the closer you get to kick off). The ticket will contain a stand and seat number, while you usually have to sit in the stand (for example Upper 6 or 6台上), where you sit is totally first come first served. If you're going alone, it shouldn't be an issue, but if you're going with friends, may be a pain in the ass to get a decent seat unless you go early (30-45 minutes before kick off).

Food is allowed, but no drinks at the security check, once you go through security there are some concessions(my suggestion is to stop by the Den across from the stadium for their happy hour pizzas or otherwise once you go through security head to stadium dog on the east side of the stadium if in need of a snack before the game). If you're looking for a beer, you'll have to hit up Stadium Dog, they'll pour it in a cup and you'll be able to bring it in the seating area with you. Inside the seating area, no food is sold and only warm coke is available.

Haha, even wearing blue is fine, as long as its not the sky blue dalian wears. Have a good time and just remember to shout Niu Bi (for Beijing) and Sha Bi (at Dalian and referees) a lot and have a good time.

 

If you're looking for Guoan scarves, there should be people a number of vendors along Gongti North Rd and especially people selling them out of their trunks around the North Gate. If you enter at the North Gate, there may be a stand shortly after you go through security selling the "official" scarf, you can also check out the shop by the East Gate (just before Stadium Dog). Inside or outside, the typically go for RMB40, you usually can't get them to bargain down on the price, but if they quote you over that, try negotiating.

Enjoy the match, I'd meet up if I was going alone but my Yang Zhi loving wife is joining for tomorrow night...

 

Can anyone explain the absurd mid-week afternoon kick-off times for many of today's games, including a showpiece championship match for Shandong, or are the CSL just insane?

 

Hahaha, at this point do you even need to ask?!? I even thought the final few matches of the season were supposed to all start at the same time to try and cut down on the funny business, doesn't make sense that they wait for the final 2 matches for that to begin. A real interesting day all over the place, the battle for Asian spots and to stay up is definitely going to make for a fun last 2 weeks.

 

Yeah, both teams secured promotion a few weeks back, don't think anybody was surprised as from the start of the season it was easy to predict that these 2 teams would go back up, especially Guangzhou which put a lot of money into their squad and pretty much were playing with a CSL squad in the China League all year, it was literally men against boys sometimes. It's like what happened in Italy, you knew Juventus would be right back up. I wouldn't be surprised if Chengdu find themselves back down in a year or two, but Guangzhou looks like they want to be in the CSL for a long time, I wouldn't be surprised if they're challenging for a title in a year or two.

Beijing's ACL chances are looking pretty dim, they'll need a win on the last day of the season and Qingdao to beat Hangzhou, not impossible especially with Qingdao fighting to stay up, but even if Hangzhou earns a point, Beijing's probably not going to make it...at the bottom of the table will be an interesting final day, too bad there are probably less than 100 serious fans of the bottom 3 sides combined...

 

what the hell is up with the half hour halftime period? Okay, I understand the CSL claims it will help to fight corruption, but can anybody explain how? Doesn't more time in the locker room mean more chances to make calls about other games or to/from their bookies or gangsters who are paying them off to throw matches? Plus, what about the total disregard of fans up north who are going to freeze during that time?!? I applaud anything to keep things clean, but does this really do anything to help?

 

What's this bribing talk? I haven't been keeping up.

 

Shen Si, Qi Hong, and Jiang Jin were all brought in for questioning as there was some belief that they were bribed to throw their last game of the 2003 season allowing Shenhua to win the title.

 

interesting news, seems like the FA Cup will make a return next year and also talk of potential expansion of the leagues, though this seems to be heavily frowned upon. It seems that the AFC wants all teams to play 33 games a year by 2013 if they are to be a part of the Champions League, and so the plan is to bring back the Cup, possibly even the CSL Cup will make a return.

Some other interesting stories, these in English news, today, this one about Gao Leilei and soccer corruption: http://news.asiaone.com/News/Latest+News/Sports/Story/A1Story20101103-245511.html

and one on FIFA's website saying Sun Jihai disagrees with the idea that Chinese players should go abroad and instead they should stay in China and develop the domestic league, kind of shocking...

 

Can anyone post some good Chinese stadium/tifo videos?

http://www.stadiumzone.weebly.com

has a lot, but not of all CSL clubs. Beijing Guoan fans seem pretty enthousiastic

 

Who's Gao Leilei dating?

 

seems like the blues get destroyed in jinan ^^, Han Peng Hat trick

 

With a three way tie for last place, who gets sent down? Qingdao, Changsha, or Chongqing?

 

Tie breaker is decided by head to head instead of the more common goal differential, therefore Qingdao, having 8 points in the head to head (2 wins, 2 draws), stays up. To me its a pretty stupid way of doing things, if goal differential was used Chongqing would still be in the CSL, but i could care less about all 3 of the sides so whatever...

 

I think this rule is only suitable for tiebreaks in group stages of cup competitions, for example, the world cup, ACL, champions league, etc, when the teams will have only played half a dozen games or so. In the CSL, 30 games have been played overall, I think goal difference is more significant rather than your results against the teams you tie with.