Changchun Yatai's second round of Chinese Super League (CSL) fixtures came to a close after a thrilling battle with Dalian sealed a 3-2 victory. In this round, Wuhan Sanzhen and Guoan shook hands 1-1, Port narrowly beat Shenzhen 3-2, while Shandong Taishan surprised fans with a 1-1 draw against Chinese Super League newcomers Nantong Zhiyun.
As the second round of Chinese Super League (CSL) matches came to an end, a well-known international soccer data platform also unveiled the best 11-player CSL squad for the first time, and Shandong Taishan had three big players in the squad: Sun Junhao, Moises and Fellaini.
Despite the Shenzhen side's 2-3 defeat away to Shanghai Port, they put in a solid performance, with Jiang Zhipeng honored as the Best XI of the round with a pass and a shot. Henan Songshan Dragons' defender Yang Shuai and goalkeeper Wang Guoming also made the list.
The duel between Henan and Qingdao Sea Bulls ended 0-0, with Henan goalkeeper Wang Guoming the center of attention as he successfully pounced on five near-scoring chances by the Sea Bulls. Yang Shuai was also outstanding in the back line, with 3 interceptions, 2 steals and 5 clearances, building a solid defense for Henan.
Shandong Taishan's three selected players were all foreigners. Fellaini contributed the team's only goal, while Moises was the initiator of the offense, delivering five key passes and creating numerous opportunities for his teammates. Unfortunately, the Taishan strikers were unable to capitalize on their chances.
Sun Jungho was not as good as Moises on the offensive end, but he played a key role in connecting the Taisans back and forth, as evidenced by 86 successful passes.
Tianjin's foreign striker Beric was named in the Best XI for his two goals, while Chengdu Rongcheng's foreign aid Romulo was also selected for his outstanding performance. In the match between Chengdu and Cangzhou Lions, Romulo gave an assist to Eckerson and created a mistake by the Cangzhou goalkeeper in a free kick.
Shanghai Shenhua's 24-year-old Xu Hao Yang was selected with a goal to help Shenhua beat Meizhou Hakka 1-0 on the road for their second straight win.
Qingdao Sea Bulls' homegrown center back Xu Dong and Beijing Guoan's foreign defender Ngaardew were named the best players of the round. Despite his eye-catching stats, Ngadeu's performance was not as good as it could have been.
Ngadeu's tall stature gave him an advantage in the air, but his slow turn, rough technique and lack of clean ball handling made him a target for Wuhan's three Town forwards to break through. If not for De Souza's timely replacement, Guoan's goal might have been lost.
From this perspective, the international media's selection of the Chinese Super League's best XI relies too much on data and ignores the actual performance of the players, which has limited reference value. Below is the complete list of the Best XI in the second round of the Chinese Super League:
Goalkeeper: Wang Guoming (Henan)
Defenders: Ngadeu (Beijing Guoan), Xu Dong (Qingdao Hainiu), Yang Shuai (Henan)
Midfield: Jiang Zhipeng (Shenzhen), Romulo (Chengdu Rongcheng), Sun Junhao, Moises (Shandong Taishan), Xu Hoyang (Shanghai Shenhua)
Forwards: Fellaini (Shandong Taishan), Beric (Tianjin)
