Nine oxen fulfill their dreams, and the champion returns to Shu!
Last night, in a landmark moment in history, Sichuan soccer ushered in its first Central League title.
On the night of October 21st, in a match of the 28th round of the Central League, Sichuan Jiuniu completed the goal in the final stage of Rui, beating Liaoning Shenyang City at home with a score of 1-0, ushering in their 7th consecutive victory.
Immediately following the match on October 22, Qingdao West Coast played Shijiazhuang Kungfu to a 1-1 draw on the road. Shijiazhuang Kungfu's goal in the 96th minute allowed Sichuan Jiuniu to win the Central League Championship two rounds ahead of schedule with an eight-point advantage. "The Championship goes to Shu", this season's Jiu Niu has undoubtedly reached its peak.
Before that, the championship had always been a dream in the heart of Sichuan soccer, but it had never been touched. Until the specialization of Chinese soccer in 1994, the best achievement of Sichuan soccer was the fifth place in the National Games, which was won in 1975 and 1989 respectively.
After entering the professional league, Sichuan soccer has struggled to reach the championship, but has never been able to do so. 2000, Mianyang Fungu won the first national championship in the history of Sichuan soccer by defeating Tianjin in the final of the National Soccer League B. However, the closest they came was in 2004 when they lost to Shandong Luneng in the final of the AFC Cup, but came second. However, the closest they came to the title was in the 2004 F.A.C.A. Cup, where Sichuan Guancheng lost to Shandong Luneng in the final and finished second.
On November 5, 2018, Sichuan Annapurna beat Nantong Zhiyun 1-0 in the final of the Chinese B League at Rugao Stadium in Nantong, Jiangsu Province, winning the Chinese B League title for Sichuan soccer. Many also regarded the title as the first national professional league title in the history of Sichuan soccer.
As for the Chinese First Division title, Sichuan soccer has missed out on it many times. Chengdu Sheffield United managed to reach the final twice in 2007 and 2010, but both times they came second. Especially in the 2010 season, the team left behind Guangzhou Evergrande by only one point and missed out on the China First Division title.
Now, Sichuan Jiuniu has finally fulfilled its dream of winning its first Central League title, an achievement that undoubtedly surpasses the previous Central League B title.
Pictures show Sichuan Jiuniu Football Club celebrating the historic moment on Weibo.
The dream of Sichuan soccer should not stop here. For the first time in history, two Sichuan teams have entered the Chinese Super League. Both Chengdu Rongcheng and Sichuan Jiuniu should aim for higher goals, and we expect them to touch even more glorious trophies in the future!
