Although the Chinese Super League has entered the break, some teams did not take a vacation, but went all out to hit the AFC Champions League. In the first round, the three teams of the Chinese Super League had quite a past record, with one win, one draw and one loss. But the opponents included Thai Premier League and the Philippines, making it difficult to test the colors. In the second round, Taishan, Sanzen, and Zhejiang played against Yokohama Mariners, Melbourne City, and Pohang Steelers, respectively, and their strengths are all at the powerhouse level of this group. That is to say, if you can win, the possibility of the group out of the line will increase.
In the second round, Taishan made its debut. It returned home to welcome the challenge of Yokohama Mariners in this round. As the only team that won in the first round, Taishan was also highly expected. Unfortunately, Taishan didn't capitalize on their chances and Yokohama Mariners took 3 points 1-0 away from home. Wuhan Sanzhen followed. Despite scoring 1 point in the first round, they played with morale at home and suppressed Urawa Red Diamonds for a while. Finally, they were forced to draw by the latter, which was a great performance. But in the second round, they visited Pohang Steelers, scored 1 goal first, played 1 man less and lost 1-3, there is still a gap in strength.
Hopes for a win fell on the Zhejiang team. Originally, the outside world was looking forward to the first win in the AFC Champions League after 12 years. As a result, Zhejiang continued to lose, 1-2 against Melbourne City, swallowed two consecutive losses, ranking continues to bottom. In the second round of the AFC Champions League, the three Chinese Super League teams suffered three consecutive defeats in two home matches, which is not rare in the peak period of the Chinese Super League, and the seaport with big-name foreign aid did not even pass the play-offs. Looking back at the first two rounds, there was only one win in six matches, indicating that the overall strength of the league has dropped significantly, even against Southeast Asian teams.
The most direct impact of the decline in AFC Champions League results is the decline in points in the Chinese Super League and the continued decline in the league ranking. At that time, the number of places in the AFC Champions League may be further reduced, which means that the chances of Chinese Super League clubs to participate in the top Asian clubs' competitions will become smaller and smaller, which is undoubtedly a big blow to the league.
Once it continues, the attention of the Chinese Super League will also drop. That's why Taishan, Sanzhen and Zhejiang will have to go all out to lay the groundwork for the AFC Champions League quota allocation, both from their own and the league's point of view.
