In an exciting 2-0 clash, Shandong Taishan defeated Hebei, who started with seven U23 players, and managed to pocket the Chinese Super League trophy. The team, which has won 16 consecutive matches in all competitions, winning 15 out of 19 with 3 draws and 1 loss, locked up the Super League title three rounds ahead of schedule, an honor they won again after 11 years, and the fifth top-flight title in the team's history.
Shandong Taishan team of this championship, whether from the team's strength, past accumulation, or deep heritage, are deserved, its significance is even more extraordinary.
The gold content of the championship
The gold content of a championship is interpreted in multiple dimensions. Usually, the gold content reflects the technical and tactical level of the teams as well as the intensity of the competition. In the history of the Chinese Super League (CSL), the 2016 to 2019 seasons have relatively high championship gold content, and the matches in these seasons have been extremely entertaining, although it is not uncommon in the history of the CSL for some weaker teams to choose to give up voluntarily.
From a competitive point of view, Guangzhou's 18-point lead over second-place Shandong Taishan and 26-point lead over third-place Beijing Guoan in the 2013 season doesn't seem to be enough of a lead to represent gold. Guangzhou's 3-point lead over Guoan in the 2014 season and 2-point lead over Seaport in the 2015 season, on the other hand, seems to be more golden.
Therefore, the evaluation of gold content varies according to different perspectives. Many Chinese Super League fans believe that gold content is to some extent equivalent to money, the more investment, the stronger the team, the higher the technical and tactical level, the higher the gold content will naturally be.
However, we must admit that we used to cheer for those high-level leagues, and the Chinese Super League's plight nowadays is closely related to the bubbling of gold-dollar soccer.
Therefore, the discussion on gold content is actually a pseudo-proposition because different perspectives will lead to differences and even disputes, which is quite normal.
fame follows merit
Let's take another look at Shandong Taishan's path to the championship. They showed great resistance against their rivals.
In the first phase of the Chinese Super League, Guangzhou and Taishan played two very close matches, with each team winning one, and Taishan's victory was a last-minute strike by Fellaini, in a very tough process.
In addition, Taishan also won 1 and drew 1 against Shenzhen Xingui, and faced teams such as Henan and Guangzhou City, Taishan also suffered a tough block.
By the second stage of the Chinese Super League, despite Hebei's struggles, the other three games were also very intense: the battle of Heaven's Mountain with the seaport was needless to say, and against Beijing Guoan and Changchun Yatai, both Guoan and Yatai showed excellent spirit, and Taishan's chances of losing these two games were very high, but with the tenacious fight and the thickness of their lineups, Taishan won in the end.
The thickness of Taishan's lineup is due to the configuration of foreign and internal reinforcements, but it comes more from the team's own youth training system, such as in the game against Changchun Yatai, the killer goal was scored by Guo Tianyu, who was produced by the youth training system.
In the two matches against Guoan and Seaport, Taishan scored 4 goals, including 2 goals each from Sun Junho, an Asian foreigner, and Jadson, a foreigner on loan from the Central League, who did not cost much to join, but both played a full role in this team.
Tarzan's championship win was also deserved in the following ways:
First of all, Taishan was the first soccer club to complete the shareholding reform, while many clubs in the current Chinese Super League are still struggling for shareholding reform.
Secondly, after the equity reform, the management of the Taishan team also experienced significant changes, but in the process of forming the management team, the team has always adhered to the principle of specialization, which has laid a solid foundation for winning the championship.
Thirdly, Taishan's head coach Hao Wei is a 15-year veteran of coaching, having been in the business since he was 31 years old, and the 2021 season is his fifth season in charge.
Fourth, in terms of the introduction of foreign aid, Taishan's foreign aid is extremely cost-effective, whether it is Asian foreign aid Sun Junho or loaned center back Jadason, their joining reflects the solidity and efficiency needed in the Chinese Super League.
Fifth, in terms of the introduction of internal reinforcements, Taishan introduced Xu Xin, Shi Ke and Ji Xiang. The team did not pay high transfer fees or salaries, but was able to attract high-level internal reinforcements to join the team, thanks to the team's stability, heritage and reputation.
Of course, more importantly, the Taishan team has a first-class youth training system.
The importance of youth training
Just as the tide goes out so that we can see who is swimming naked, so the perseverance of the Taishan team in youth training has made them stand tall in the soccer world.
In the first 19 rounds of the season, Taishan scored 43 goals, of which 22 were scored by local players, 18 of which came from Taishan's youth system.
More specifically, 5 generations of Taishan's youth players contributed 18 goals: 1 goal by Zheng Zheng of the 1989 generation, 3 goals by Wu Xinghan and 1 goal by Qi Tianyu of the 1993 generation, 1 goal by Liu Yang of the 1995 generation, 2 goals by Duan Liuyu (1998 age group) of the 1997 generation, and 10 goals by Guo Tianyu of the 1999 generation.
This season, Taishan has seven international players, namely Zheng Zheng, Wang Dalei, Jin Jingdao, Wu Xinghan, Liu Binbin, Xu Xin and Guo Tianyu, four of which are from Taishan's youth training system, namely Zheng Zheng in 1989, Wu Xinghan and Liu Binbin in 1993, and Guo Tianyu in 1999.
Persistence is not just about staying in the Premier League, it's about having ideals and dreams and always being consistent.
The 28-year history of the Terriers can be roughly divided into seven phases:
Stage 1 (1994-1998): The team's nascent stage, during which it won 1 FA Cup title;
Stage 2 (1999): The team's glory days, winning the Double Crown;
Stage 3 (2000-2003): Adjustment stage, the team's strength has not yet reached the top, but the mentality became proud after the double championship, so it entered the adjustment period without a championship;
Phase 4 (2004-2010): The Taishan era, with three Super League titles, two AFC Cup titles and one Super League Cup title in seven years, Taishan stepped into the ranks of the Super League giants and gained universal recognition;
Fifth stage (2011-2015): adjustment and adaptation stage, Evergrande's strong rise, Taishan's heart is not willing, the coaching staff change frequently, during the period to win 1 AFC Cup;
Sixth stage (2016-2020): stability stage, Taishan team adhere to the stable investment, waiting for the time, during the period of 1 AFC Cup champion, two times to fight in the AFC Champions League have gained the right to get out of the group, 2016 also killed the AFC Champions League quarterfinals;
Stage 7 (2021-present): Taishan returned to the top tier of the Chinese Super League with the fifth league title in the team's history.
And that's not even the most important thing, the most important thing is that the Taishan team has always insisted on youth training for many years.
A generation of players in the 1985 and 1987 age groups created the dynasty era of the Taishan team, and there's still Zhang Qi holding out.
The generation of players in the 1989 to 2001 age group, who fought their way through the Taishan team, contributed 18 of the 22 goals scored by local players, as well as four international players.
After the 2001 age group, Taishan's ladder is still strong, for example, in the 2019 season, that season's Youth Super League, FA Cup matches and Champions Cup matches, a total of 15 champions were decided, and Taishan's ladder team got 9 of them.
You know, this is in the green city, the root of the base adhere to the youth training, Evergrande youth training and R&F youth training surged, Shenhua, Yatai and other youth training in full force, Chengdu, Wuhan and other football association youth training is also very strong situation to get.
That's the ultimate meaning of this championship for the Terriers.
