The 21st round of the Chinese Super League (CSL) kicked off on an extraordinary night on August 8, with a total of four summit matches taking place. These matches included Zhejiang vs Nantong Zhiyun, Shandong Taishan vs Chengdu Rongcheng, Meizhou Hakka vs Changchun Yatai, and Qingdao Hainiu vs Shanghai Port. The results were as follows: Zhejiang drew 1-1 with Nantong Zhiyun, Shandong Taishan defeated Chengdu Rongcheng 0-1, Meizhou Hakka beat Changchun Yatai 4-2, and Qingdao Hainiu lost 0-5 to Shanghai Port. Although some of the matches were controversial, overall the action was exciting. Next up, let's focus on three high-profile matches.
Qingdao Hainiu 0-5 Shanghai Port
Despite Shanghai Seaport's calls to win the title this season, a minor setback might have been a consolation for some fans. However, Shanghai Seaport's consistency has given fans a lot of confidence in them. The trip to Qingdao will see Shanghai Seaport aiming for three points, while the hosts are fighting for relegation and are determined to win. Qingdao Sea Cow was expected to be a surprise, but they were just a "paper tiger". In the first half, Shanghai Harbor got a surprise. In the second half, Wu Lei led the team to launch a fierce attack, and the final score of 5-0 made Shanghai Harbor's lead more and more solid.
Shandong Taishan 0-1 Chengdu Rongcheng
This is a crucial game for both teams, with a move in the standings at stake. Shandong Taishan had been steadily moving up the table and suffered a thrashing at the hands of Meizhou Hakka after a big win over Guoan, while Chengdu Rongcheng had been up and down. However, Shandong Taishan were clearly fluctuating in this game. Chengdu Rongcheng gave it their all and were better at capitalizing on their chances. Although Shandong Taishan also had good chances to score, they failed to capitalize on them. After this match, Shandong Taishan was overtaken in points, while Chengdu Rongcheng climbed to the second place.
Changchun Yatai 1-4 Meizhou Hakka
Meizhou Hakka's relegation situation is getting more and more tense after their 1-6 loss to Shandong Taishan. Although they have not yet touched the relegation zone, their advantage is only one line. Therefore, playing at home is the key for them to turn the situation around. Changchun Yatai, on the other hand, had no motivation to move forward and no pressure to be relegated, so they lacked fighting spirit throughout the game. In the end, Meizhou Hakka bounced back and saw the dawn of relegation.
