C-League 2005

hey greenlion, I think Shanghai Shenhua and Shandong Luneng drew the game, and I remember you said Shandong would most likely beat Shenhua, any chance of thoughts?

don't tell me you are going to say Zheng Zhi wasn't in the lineup. After all, it was Shandong's home game. ha ha ha

gooooooooooooo shenhua

 

I felt so frustrated after the draw. Shenhua could have took all three points. The missed chances and lax defending was appalling.

 

Is it Nanjing Yoyo? According to sinosoc he's not there anymore.

 

So are there any Shenhua(r) fans in Shanghai on here? I intend on making the game against Liaoning on the 21st and am potentially (its very tempting!) going to remain/come to Shanghai for the derby match on the 27th...

Will the derby tickets be hard to come by? Further, has anyone been to a game in Tianjin? How easy is it to get tix there?

 

I don't follw the Chinese league, I'm still trying to find a team. I feel a bit ashamed that I know more about Korean or Japanese soccer than Chinese soccer, but then again, their leagues are more interesting and less corrupt. Iono if Dalian is the team I should follow (I'm a Cantonese, and rooting for someone in the North should betray my beliefs).

But this guy from Bosnia...he plays for Beijing Hyundai, Branko Jelic?, looks impressive...14 goals. How well do the non-Chinese players fair, there are a fair amount of South Americans and Eastern Europeans. What happened to Ermin Siljak, I thought he was still playing with Dalian.

 

Tony Menezes??

Man, he was a great player. I had watched him played for the Canadian national team. Man, what a solid defender. Good pace, always cool and calm, and never out of position. I thought it was a waste for him to play in Brazil. He could have easily done well in Europe.

 

I would never have imagined a small city that lies between two giant cities can be "a very beautiful town".

 

Thanks for the info. It is hard covering C-League, basically, I cover too many foreign leagues myself to give a real bother about hte C-League. I'm just disappointed the Guangzhou has no team in the upper-echelon of Chinese football, they were kinda like Hertha in the mid-90s, big city with small team.

Oh yea, still don't know what happened to Siljak. He was a brilliant player for Dalian wasn't he?

 

Ha! Thats good news...which stadium do they play in, the new stadium or that old rickety stadium that I saw them play in 2 years ago when I was in China?

 

Definitely come to the derby match. Hostilities between the rival fans are rampant, as seen during the Shanghai United match where fights occurred in the stands. I'm sure there will be tickets available from scalpers, but you should get the tickets beforehand if you want to know where you're seating.

 

Now I'm tempted to make a trip just for this.

 

Do it! Do it! hehe, are you in China now? If so, I'll pm you my cell number...

 

Unfortunately I'm still stuck in the NYC. Poor me.

But I have this feeling we'll meet each other one of these days. Hopefully we'd be cheering for the same team.

Are you in China already? Got ticket for this game yet?

 

Checking out a game in Shanghai

I went out to Shanghai Stadium last Saturday to see a C-League match' Inter Shanghai vs. Dalian Shide. 5000 out of 80,000 seats filled, but a loud Inter supporters group tried to make up for it with noise and blue smoke. No beer. Repeat, no beer. With both teams rusty after a 2 week layoff for East Asia Championship Inter got an early fluke goal when a hand ball was called on a direct kick and they scored on the resulting PK. Dalian hardly looked like a 1st place team through most of the game, but in the 10 minutes that they did they forced Inter into stupid giveaways and scored the necessary two goals for a 2-1 comeback. Towards the end the Inter supporters threw PET bottles onto the pitch to show their displeasure, but as I had low expectations I was suitably entertained for 30 RMB. I still have to decide what Shanghai team to support. BTW I'm an American who lives in Japan with a Shanghai wife (who hates footie), so we come here a lot.

Well, at least Kuwait are not going to the WC...

 

Re: Checking out a game in Shanghai

Ahh yes, sounds like a usual CSL fixture...The stadiums are just way too large for the size of crowd they attract, but they typically have decent crowds, except Inter which has no real fans of its own (just a dig at them)...

And what is a CSL game without the warm Coke or Pepsi (whoever's doing the sponsoring this year) and a bag of gua zi? Of the grounds I've been to, Hongkou has the best food options, but nothing beats the location of Gongti, with Sanlitun right down the street, no need for beer in the stadium...The worst ground in the country (that I've visited at least) has got to be Wu Li He, an absolute dump...

 

Haha, unless its the China MNT, I doubt we could support the same team being that we're on opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to CSL and MLS...

I leave Saturday, no tickets yet, but being that its at Shanghai Stadium, I doubt its going to be a problem...

 

Re: Checking out a game in Shanghai

Shanghai Stadium is too big to create a good atmosphere. Hongkou is much better. Support SHENHUA!

Remember to go for the derby on Saturday the 27th. From when to when are you staying in Shanghai?

 

Re: Checking out a game in Shanghai

Just briefly in Shanghai, I get in on the 21st and maybe head off to Hangzhou to chill for a day or two and then back to Shanghai. I was going to leave after the derby on the 27th, but I just checked and Zobon has a game on the 28th, so maybe I'll stay the extra day, depends on where I end up staying (ie hotel costs)...

 

Re: Checking out a game in Shanghai

Well, I can tell you that Shenzhen Stadium is not much better than Wu Li He. The so-called VIP seats were just seats in air-conditioned rooms. No TV, no service, no nothing. You can't even hear the crowd cheering and the atmosphere. The worst is the so-called consession stands. There is not much to buy (packaged buns and Coke are all they sell!! Not even bottled water for christ's sake...). The Coke is not only warm, but they must have added tons of water (perhaps water from the toilet near-by!!!). Absolutely atrocious "stadium"!!!!!

After this experience I'd rather watch CSL games in the comfort of my home...