Changchun Yatai 0 – 0 Jiangsu Sainty
Attendance: 7,861
Dalian Aerbin 3 – 0 Beijing Guoan
Attendance: 11,222
Guangzhou R&F 0 – 2 Guangzhou Evergrande
Attendance: 14,535
Tianjin Teda 3 – 2 Wuhan Zall
Attendance: 8,842
Hangzhou Greentown 3 – 3 Shandong Luneng
Attendance: 10,073
Liaoning Whowin 1 – 1 Qingdao Jonoon
Attendance: 14,561
Shanghai Shenhua 2 – 1 Shanghai East Asia
Attendance: 22,356
With just a little bit less than a quarter of matches played in the CSL 2013, the wheat is starting to be separated from the chaff at the top of the table, while the picture remains close at the bottom. Changchun’s 0:0 with Jiangsu Sainty meant that the engine rooms of both teams are continuing to stutter. This could become a very long season for either of them. But there were also positive news from pitches across China’s Northeast as well as Dalian Aerbin continue to steadily climb up the table. They beat Beijing Guoan comprehensively with 3:0 at Jinzhou (in front of only 11,000 people). After a good start to the beginning of this season, the team from the capital – which is competing on all three fronts in 2013 and with good chances to progress beyond the group stage in this year’s ACL – is gradually losing sight of the top spot.
It was Guangzhou Evergrande in a Saturday evening kick-off who made sure of just that as they comfortably overcame their local rivals Guangzhou R&F 2:0 in their backyard. Since Fuli managed to win both the 2012 derbies – during the first season after promotion to the top flight – this was Hengda’s first derby victory in the Pearl River city. Tianjin Teda’s 3:2 home win over newly promoted Wuhan Zall kept the side from Hubei Province stuck at the bottom. Although Teda still occupies the last spot in the table, they were finally able to bring the points tally back to zero by winning the first campaign in the 2013 campaign.
Shandong Luneng secured a last minute point when they managed to score late in a 3:3 draw at Hangzhou Greentown. They are level on points with Guangzhou Evergrande but they have played one more game than the table-toppers. Liaoning Whowin – playing the second fixture against a team from Shandong in one week – only managed to take a point from the match against high-flying Qingdao Jonoon at home – 1:1.
In the only evening fixture on Sunday football supporters in Shanghai were in for a real treat when crowds of more than 22,000 gathered to create a fantastic atmosphere in this spiritedly contested first “proper” city derby since many years. Shenhua’s blue came 2:1 out on top at Hongkou Stadium after overcoming a 1:0 deficit at half time with two second half goals. Home fans went home delirious and singing could be heard for a long time after the match. However, Shanghai’s red team contributed a lot to this encounter. Is this a long-term rivalry in the city in the making?
A total of 89,450 spectators were occupying the stadia seats or stands during last weekend’s seven matches of round 7 around the country. This makes for an average attendance of 12,779. The eighth fixture between Guizhou Renhe and Shanghai Shenxin was postponed.
