Under the sunshine of Zhuhai, Shandong Taishan U17s defeated Chengdu Chengdu U17s by a single goal on the field of Soka Base in the late afternoon of December 27th, which is not only a recognition of the opponent's strength, but also the best proof of their own efforts. This victory enabled Taishan to beat the strong Shanghai Shenhua U17 team and win the title of the 2023 Chinese Football Association Youth Championship Professional Clubs U17 Division (U17 League). With the conclusion of the first U17 League, the 7-month journey came to a successful end, with 155 matches witnessing the excitement of this soccer feast.
Taishan U17s were leading the table by just one point before this round. They faced Chengdu Chengdu U17s in the afternoon showdown on the 27th in the Championship Division, while second-placed Shanghai Shenhua U17s challenged Liaoning Shenyang U17s. The winner was not announced until the last minute, with Taishan sealing a 1-0 win and Shenhua drawing 2-2. Taishan won the championship by 3 points, a perfect ending to a very competitive U17 league.
A total of 155 matches were played in the inaugural U17 League, with 16 teams showing their strength in 19 matches in the final stage. The CFA and CFF preparatory team rebuilt the Club U21 League last year and added two more ladder tournaments for the U17 and U15 divisions this season, aiming to provide young players with real-world opportunities and broaden their career paths. As one coach said, "Without this tournament, we may face dismissal or waiting, and the players face the same dilemma. Therefore, we treasure this competitive platform."
In recent years, both adult professional soccer and youth soccer have faced a shortage of funds due to the domestic soccer environment. The CFA and CFL preparatory team faced similar challenges when launching the three-tier professional club league. In order to save time and financial costs, the tournament organizers carefully designed the system and schedule, such as the three stages of the U17 Club League: the knockout round, the North and South qualifying rounds and the national final.
A total of 22 clubs registered for this season's U17 League, including 13 from the Super League, 6 from the Chinese First Division and 3 from the Chinese Second Division. After a fierce competition, 16 clubs (10 Super League, 4 China League A, 2 China League B) entered the national final stage. Shanghai Jiading Huilong U17s beat Beijing Guoan U17s 1-0 to finish seventh in the Championship Division, demonstrating that no matter what level you come from, there is always a chance to come out on top.
Apart from the players, the performance of the coaches was also praiseworthy. 38-year-old Taishan U17 team coach Zhou Haibin was honored as the best coach after leading his team to win the championship, which not only affirmed his coaching ability, but also laid a solid foundation for his career. In addition, the U17 League provided young referees with the opportunity to exercise, and many of them gained valuable experience through this tournament.
