Reporter Chen Yong exclusively revealed that Jinan Xingzhou turned back Yanbian Longding 4-1 in the late afternoon of November 9, a result that sealed their victory in the final hurdle of the China B-League. Although Jinan Xingzhou had previously trailed by three points with a narrow 1-0 win over Dandong Tengyue, the ensuing 4-1 victory allowed them to lock up top spot in the Championship Group ahead of schedule, logically earning them a berth in the 2023 China A season.
In the final round of the Championship Group (First Division), Jinan Xingzhou accumulated 10 points with 3 wins and 1 draw, far ahead of second-ranked Dandong Tengyue and Yanbian Longding, who followed with 7 points each. A draw between the two teams in the final round of the tournament would qualify them for the China First Division.
Looking back at the 2022 season, Jinan Xingzhou entered the China B League as a potential team. At the beginning of the season, the team attracted a lot of attention for bringing in former Chinese Super League stars such as Deng Xiaofei and Zhu Yifan. In a crucial game, Zhu Yifan helped Jinan Xingzhou take the lead with a direct free kick, and eventually the team was promoted to the first division.
It is worth mentioning that Jinan Xingzhou's success is not an isolated case. Over the past four years, the Chinese League B has seen a succession of miracles: Chengdu Chengdu, Taizhou Yuanda, Nanjing City and Shijiazhuang Kungfu have all achieved this feat. This season, Jinan Xingzhou will enter the second division at the end of the 2021 season and will be promoted to the first division in the 2022 season, demonstrating its strong potential for development.
However, the successive promotions of the China B teams are not only due to the efforts of the clubs, but also to the living conditions of the existing Chinese Super League, China A and China B teams. While the "Miracle of Kaiserslautern" is indispensable, the downturn of most of the teams cannot be ignored.
A new chapter has dawned in Shandong soccer, with Jinan Xingzhou's successful run to the first division marking the change. Currently, Shandong Taishan is tied at the top of the table with Wuhan Sanzhen in the Chinese Super League, while Qingdao Hainiu is expected to be promoted to the Chinese Super League next season. Shandong soccer has a whole new pattern in the top league with Jinan Xingzhou, Zibo Cuju and Qingdao.
China B teams include Taian Tianyun, Zibo Qisheng, Qingdao Red Lion, etc. After the 2022 season, Shandong soccer has eight professional teams, and the pattern of the Chinese Super League, the Chinese First Division and the Chinese Second Division has changed significantly.
Although the current situation of Shandong soccer is good, but how to achieve healthy development is still a major challenge. Zibo Cuju is facing the problem of equity transfer or equity auction, and Jinan Xingzhou's future development also needs to be paid attention to. Only rely on the support of investors is difficult to maintain the healthy development of the team for a long time.
Therefore, the success of the first division is only the starting point, and there is still a lot of work to be done in the future.
