On the night of August 15, Beijing time, the 2021 season of the Chinese Super League Gusu tournament came to an end. In the end, Beijing Guoan and Hebei saved the day, locking up the top four spots at the last minute and joining Changchun Yatai and Shanghai Seaport in the championship group of the tournament. Shanghai Shenhua, Wuhan, Tianjin Jinmen Tigers and Dalian People will compete in the relegation group. The biggest surprise of the Gusu tournament was that Changchun Yatai, the promoted team, finally won the first place, and the biggest surprise was that Shanghai Shenhua fell into the relegation group.
3 for 2 in the finale, State Guards in the top 4, Shenhua going for relegation.
The finale of the Gusu tournament featured three teams, Shanghai Shenhua, Hebei and Beijing Guoan, vying for two spots in the championship group. Unexpectedly Shenhua and Guoan, two veteran powerhouses, actually went head-to-head in the final round for the Champions League spot. In the end, Guoan took only 20 minutes to set up the line, going from fifth to third place against all odds. With Hebei also getting points in this round, Shenhua ended up being that team that regrettably went into the relegation group.
Shenhua's failure to enter the title contending group has a lot to do with the formation being too old. The record of the biggest average age of the starting formation in this season's Chinese Super League is held by Shenhua, who could have even fielded a formation of all 30+ players had it not been for the restriction of the U23 rule. The 3-day match after the first stage of the league resumed is very unfriendly to the older Shenhua. Despite Cui Kangxi's resignation, which gave Shenhua two consecutive victories and the advantage in points and goal difference before the final round, Shenhua is still unable to catch up with the more youthful footsteps.
The only promoted team is "blacked out".
Changchun Yatai is the only promoted team this season, and as a former Super League champion, Yatai's return to the Chinese Super League has demonstrated a wonderful performance unlike previous promoted teams. Yatai started the season well, going undefeated in the first five rounds, and despite a setback in the first round after the resumption of the tournament, their overall performance was still impressive. The excellent performance of Yatai in the league also showed the growth potential of this promoted team.
