Suzhou trip came to an abrupt end, the national football team after a short rest, immediately into a new round of preparation. For Li Tie, this short period of isolation has become a rare opportunity to prepare for the war. However, the Chinese Super League has to face the serious challenge of schedule compression due to time constraints. The next trend of the Chinese Super League is like a lighthouse in the fog, difficult to predict.
Season system full of holes
By the superimposed impact of the epidemic and the World Cup, the league can not be normal between September and November. On September 2, the first round of the 12 strong match on the eve of the start of the game, the national football team also need to urgently assemble to prepare for the game. In other words, the Chinese super this year's available time is limited to mid-July to mid-August, and December. Even if the league across the year, the latest can only continue to the middle of January next year, and then to enter the national team preparation cycle.
How do you schedule 25 rounds of league play in two and a half months?
Therefore, the Chinese Super League must be reformed this year. At present, there are two main options: one is to follow last year's system, 20 rounds to complete the entire season; the second is based on this year's three-phase system, directly skipping the second phase, playing a total of 22 rounds. There is also a proposal that the league can be changed to a single round, only 15 rounds to finish.
From the point of view of protecting the competitiveness of the league, last season's system was most inappropriate. While the first stage remained a double round-robin within the group, the second stage became a cup competition. Under this system, some teams only need to win one game throughout the year to be relegated; some teams only need to play one game badly to miss the chance to compete for the title.
Although it's not unfair to talk about the same system, there is too much chance, making it difficult to accurately reflect a team's true strength and season performance. Last season, Tianjin Teda finished relegated with only one win, and after another win they finished 10th in the Chinese Super League, so the loopholes in the system are clear to see. In light of this, the possibility of the FA continuing to use last season's system is slim to none.
Simplified league better than cup
A two-stage, 22-round tournament should be the best option. After the 14 rounds of the first stage double round robin, the top four of the two groups go into the title contenders' group, the bottom four go into the relegation group, and the teams then play a double round robin against teams they have not played before, and end up in the top eight and bottom eight, respectively, based on their point totals. While not as perfect as the 30-round format, a simplified version of the league format is better than the cup format.
However, the 22 rounds of matches were also difficult to schedule. Taking into account the needs of the epidemic prevention work, the first phase of the game must be completed before the start of the Top 12, and the Super League in December directly into the second phase. This means that from mid-July to mid-August, in just one month, the remaining nine rounds of the first stage must be completed, and teams need to play a week of double matches in a row. The summer heat, such a high density of games is a severe test for all teams.
It would be a much simpler job if the league was really changed to a single round robin, which could be done in just 15 rounds. But doing so would be too harmful to the Chinese Super League. Chen Xuyuan said in an interview with Xinhua News Agency, can not be sacrificed because of the national team preparation for the league, the Football Association is studying three specific programs, but also to consult the views of the clubs, and ultimately the formation of a generally accepted league program.
