The 17th round of the China First Division League culminated on July 14 with the final four matches coming to a close. Liaoning Ironmen were in hot form after the managerial change, turning back Guangxi Pingguo 2-1 at home, the team's second consecutive victory in new manager Li Jinyu's first match in office. Guangzhou, on the other hand, lost to Shijiazhuang Kung Fu on the road and dropped to sixth place with only one win in the last five rounds.
The match between Liaoning Ironmen and Guangxi Pingguo was a fierce confrontation, with Fan Chao opening the scoring for Guangxi Pingguo in the 34th minute, João Carlos equalizing in the 65th minute, and João Carlos scoring twice in the 82nd minute to help Liaoning Ironmen seal the win.
The match between Wuxi Wuhou and Yanbian Longding was equally exciting, with the two sides playing to a 1-1 draw. 52 minutes in, Joel Noble's header gave Wuxi Wuhou the lead, and in the 71st minute, Yanbian Longding equalized, with Ivo hitting a penalty.
Guangzhou won 1-0 against the challenge of Shijiazhuang Kung Fu. In the second half, Wang Song sent a corner kick to Zhang Chenliang for a header and Messi Paoli missed a good chance. Shijiazhuang Kung Fu moved up to seventh in the table, while Guangzhou settled for sixth.
Qingdao Red Lions and Foshan Southern Lions also had a close match, with both sides shaking hands 1-1. Sanogo gave Qingdao Red Lions the first goal in the 16th minute, while Foshan Southern Lions equalized in the 48th minute, with a header by Fortes.
For updates on the standings and scorer's list, please refer to the images below.
