Goal feast witnesses local power, local players in the Chinese Super League contribute half of it
Data from the German transfer market network reveals that the total value of the Chinese Super League in the new season is 152 million euros, ranking sixth in Asia, only half of the Saudi professional league. The proportion of foreign aiders in the team dropped to 11.5 percent and the number of players was 62, which is a drastic reduction compared to the past. Hit by both the epidemic and financial problems, three teams - Guangzhou, Hebei and Dalian Ren - have decided to adopt an all-Chinese team strategy in the first phase of the new season. Guangzhou City and Shanghai Seaport also had to rely on local players in the first few rounds due to the non-return of foreign players. As the Chinese Super League returns to the era of small cost, the importance of local players is becoming more and more prominent.
Changchun Yatai (soccer team)
Tan Long (front) celebrates after scoring a goal. Xinhua News Agency reporter Yang Guanyu Photographs
In the first round of matches, 23 goals were scored in 9 matches in the Chinese Super League (CSL), of which 12 were scored by local players. Tan Long contributed a hat-trick for Changchun Yatai, and the post-00s players also showed great strength, with Zhu Chenjie and Bugra Khan scoring for their respective teams to win the opening red.
However, the number of goals scored in the first round has dropped compared to last season. 16 teams scored 27 goals in the first round of the 2021 season, although the number of teams has increased to 18, the number of goals scored has decreased. Foreigners scored fewer goals than local players, but still played key roles in the game, such as Shandong Taishan's Jadason and Changchun Yatai's Eric and Achimpen, all of whom had a significant impact on the outcome.
Chinese Super League clubs in the selection strategy gradually from the pursuit of high-priced foreign aid to the pursuit of cost-effective, but in line with the team's system of foreign aid can still change the game at critical moments.
Referee Tang Shunqi shows a red card to Shanghai Seaport player Xu Xin. Xinhua News Agency reporter Pan Yulong Photo
Record number of red cards in first round, Zheng Zheng and Xu Xin may face retrospective punishment
In the first round of the new season, there were four red cards in the Chinese Super League (CSL), with Zheng Zheng and Xu Xin's red cards sparking widespread controversy. In the opening match between Shandong Taishan and Zhejiang, Zheng Zheng was penalized for a retaliatory foul; in the match between Shanghai Seaport and Wuhan Changjiang, Xu Xin was given a red card for a stomping action in the defense; in the match between Beijing Guoan and Cangzhou Lions, Zhang Chengdong's foul on Oscar led to his own penalty, while Guo Hao of the Cangzhou Lions was given a red card for his "two yellows". The game was a good one, but it was a good one.
The number of red cards in the first round of the Chinese Super League (CSL) is the highest in the last three seasons, second only to the 2016 and 2019 seasons. Zheng Zheng and Xu Xin's red cards could incur additional penalties. Tournament organizers have repeatedly emphasized that the Chinese Super League 2022 season will be strict in terms of match discipline, and with national teams at a low ebb, the re-launch of the Chinese Super League is all the more important. How to stop malicious fouls and maintain discipline on the field of play has become an urgent problem for managers.
