With the start of the new Chinese Super League (CSL) season, the strength of each team is gradually clear. Through the use of technology and tactics and the display of individual players' abilities, although the results may not seem too different, there is a significant difference in the course of the game. However, no matter how the outside world looks at it, Shanghai is undoubtedly the favorite to win the title, followed closely by Shenhua and Rongcheng. Taishan is slightly better than Zhejiang, but not as strong as those teams of the past. Many are skeptical of Taishan, perhaps because of their excellent performance in the AFC Champions League?
It's worth noting that the strength of the SIPG team lies in its foreigner lineup. Their passes were consistent, and the strikers had many chances to break through, which is hard to see in the first round of matches or in other teams in the Chinese Super League.
Admittedly, Shanghai's midfield configuration is top-notch and unrivaled in the Chinese Super League. After Oscar joined the team, the team's passing stability has been greatly improved, creating many good scoring opportunities for the team. In addition, the team also has a rare national team defender combination in the Chinese Super League, each player has the level of the national team, no one can compare.
Needless to say, this team is top notch in Asia and has a world class star in Wu Lei. If you have any objections, he has started and scored for Barcelona. There seems to be no obvious shortcomings in this team, and the coach's pragmatism and advanced tactics make it difficult for opponents to find a breakthrough.
As for Shenhua and Rongcheng, they also have significant advantages and can hardly find any obvious deficiencies. However, due to the large number of newcomers, the team still needs to gel, which is slightly insufficient compared to Shanghai Hong Kong.
Shenhua and Rongcheng's benches are equally star-studded, with international players all over the place. Although the team still needs time to gel and is not as stable as the Shanghai team, the player configuration is unrivaled in the Chinese Super League, thanks to a reasonable age structure.
Compared to Shanghai, these two teams have an advantage in terms of young players, and both are international players, but they are slightly inferior in terms of midfield configuration. If Shanghai has Oscar in the lineup, I'm afraid no Chinese Super League team can match them.
It seems reasonable for Taishan to finish fourth or fifth. Their performance in the AFC Champions League drew many voices that they deserved to win the title, but the league is 30 rounds long after all.
In the league, Taishan's advantage was not as obvious as in the cup. Despite the reduction in the number of foreigners, the team's problems came to the fore as the season progressed, such as the lack of key players like Zeca and a decline in heading ability.
At the moment, the team's tactics are unlikely to change, and it is difficult to predict how they will perform against the opposing team's dense defense. However, there is still a possibility for them to perform well in the cup matches. Unless new players can be brought in during the summer, the solution to these problems will be far away. This is one of the reasons why we don't see them winning the league. Without the background of the AFC Champions League, they are no different from other teams in the Chinese Super League.
