In today's Chinese Super League (CSL), what determines the winner? In years gone by, people might not hesitate to mention the magical role of super foreign aid, however, this logic no longer applies in 2021. The Chinese Super League has not only witnessed a decline in the level of foreign aid, but has also further reduced the number of foreign aiders in the second phase. It has become an anachronism to decide the championship based solely on the strength of foreign aid, and the performance of Chinese players as well as the tactical adjustments made by the coaching team will play a key role in the future championship battles.
Looking back at the Chinese Super League over the past decade, the strength of foreign aid has often been a key factor in determining the champion. Taking Guangzhou Evergrande as an example, Evergrande has maintained the top foreign aid lineup in the Chinese Super League since Konka joined the team for $10 million, which is an important reason why they have been able to win the title for eight times.In 2018, Shanghai Shanghai SIPG succeeded in taking the title with the outstanding performances of super foreign aiders such as Oscar and Hulk, as well as the super scorer Wu Lei. And Jiangsu Suning won the title in 2020, in addition to the factors of the tournament system, the strong strength and good condition of the team's foreign aiders such as Eder and Teixeira is also the key to win the title. However, entering the 2021 season, with the departure of big-name foreign aiders and the inability of many foreign aiders to enter the country, the influence of foreign aiders in the championship attribution has been significantly reduced. As of July 14, among the top 16 teams in the Chinese Super League, there are only five teams with five foreign aiders, namely Shanghai Shenhua, Shenzhen, Wuhan, Cangzhou Lions and Changchun Yatai. And there are 3 teams with 4 foreign aid, respectively, Guangzhou City, Guangzhou team and Henan Songshan Longmen. Among them, all the naturalized players of Guangzhou team are registered as foreign aiders, while Henan team's Toure is not yet healed.
For the remaining teams, the foreign aid situation varies. Shandong Taishan, Beijing Guoan, Qingdao and Chongqing Liangjiang Athletic all have three foreign aiders, but only Shandong Taishan's three foreign aiders are outstanding. Beijing Guoan has Bieira, Baqanbu and other foreign aid, but Bieira is injured, and Golat is also recuperating from injury. Chongqing Liangjiang Athletic although has Fernandinho and other foreign aid, but in the case of nine months in arrears of wages, whether the foreign aiders are willing to enter the tournament is still unknown. Among the remaining four teams, the number of foreign aiders has been further reduced, with Hebei, Harbor, Dalian People and Tianjin Jinmen Tiger all having only two foreign aiders. In this case, teams with five foreign aiders have a greater advantage in the title race, but as the strength of the foreign aiders declines, it is difficult for them to play a decisive role in contributing to the team. In addition, the intensive schedule puts higher demands on player rotation and health, testing the tactical adjustment ability of the coaching team. Carnavaro said: "Playing 10 games in 28 days is crucial for player rotation and health. We will be making several rotations to keep the players healthy. I believe the coaches of all the teams are not ready, especially the eight teams in the Guangzhou tournament. It is very important for the players to recover for the next matches, and the temperature and humidity in Guangzhou make quick recovery difficult." It is predictable that under the intensive schedule of three-day rounds in the second stage, all-Chinese classes will become the norm and the competition among local players will become more and more intense.
