CSL Matchday 9 Preview

We have a big day of football today and once again are treated to 3 days of football with the first match kicking off in less than an hour. Right now I'm at 29-27 for the season, hopefully this week will be a big winner for me as we're finally starting to see signs that the teams are separating. Here goes:

5.15 15:30 Guangzhou Baiyunshan - Shandong Luneng
Guangzhou's coming off a difficult loss last weekend in Chengdu, whereas Shandong won big against a very strong side. How will Guangzhou recover from that? This Guangzhou side is strong and they should be near the top of the table, but Shandong is fighting to repeat and they have the horses. Guangzhou needs a solid home performance, but I don't think they have the skill at the end of the day. Prediction: Guangzhou 1-2 Shandong.

5.15 19:30 Beijing Guoan - Shenzhen
Full preview to be up in an hour, should be an easy one for Guoan, especially after the Changchun victory, but they can't take the foot off the pedal. Prediction: Guoan 3-0 Shenzhen.

5.15 19:30 Tianjin Teda - Shanghai Shenhua
What can I say about this one? It's definitely the match of the day (though Guangzhou-Shandong should be exciting) though both teams need to regroup from some recent weak performances. It seems there are some problems within the Shanghai camp, it will be interesting to see if they can patch things up, this should be fairly even, though if it starts to rain, things could get wild. Prediction: Tianjin 1-1 Shanghai.

5.16 14:30 Dalian Shide - Chengdu Blades
Chengdu's coming off a big win while Dalian lost last week. Chengdu, I think I have pegged pretty fairly as a relegation candidate, Dalian is a middle of the table side, that potentially could be in the top half, namely due to its attackers like Ahn Junghwan and Zhao Xuri, though Chengdu can surprise some teams. If they win this one, Dalian's in trouble. Prediction: Dalian 1-0 Chengdu.

5.16 16:00 Qingdao Zhongneng - Changchun Yatai
Changchun goes on the road hoping to regain their mojo after getting trounced by Beijing; Qingdao has a rare home match and has some threats, namely Qu Bo, who can be explosive. However, I think Changchun shouldn't have a problem and will cruise to an easy win. Prediction: Qingdao 0-2 Changchun.

5.16 19:30 Henan Construction - Shaanxi Zhongxin
A decent primetime affair with Shaanxi going to Zhengzhou to battle a Henan side looking for a win after going down to Shandong last week. The "Northwestern Wolves" are capable of poaching points from time to time, expectations may have been a little higher at the start, but this team will stay safe, but not do much more. Henan, on the other hand, is a top side and should be able to handle this one, especially at home. Prediction: Henan 1-0 Shaanxi.

5.16 19:30 Hangzhou Greentown - Jiangsu Sainty
Can we call this one a derby? Separated only by a few hours train ride and a single point in the table, the crowd in Hangzhou is sure to be pumped up for this one. Jiangsu's been surprisingly consistent, playing hard and always in the game, Hangzhou's a different story though they should be ready for this one, I have a feeling it's going to be a close, close 1 goal game, and I'm going to give it to Jiangsu. Prediction: Hangzhou 0-1 Jiangsu.

5.17 15:30 Chongqing Lifan - Changsha Jinde
CCTV has to be kind of sad that this will be the featured match on Sunday (and why does it seem that Changsha is ALWAYS the Sunday game?!?). Chongqing, sitting bottom of the table, hosts Changsha in what should be a battle between these two sides who are both afraid of relegation. I'm guessing they're going to fight to a stalemate. Chongqing 1-1 Changsha.

Today will be a great day of football, followed by some decent matchups tomorrow and an interesting battle for points on Sunday, enjoy!

CSL Matchday 8 Recap

We're finally starting to see some separation at the top of the table with Shandong alone on top, though things are still fairly close. With 2 weeks left before the first international break of the season, things will get a little more clear and predictions should become slightly easier. Enough of that, to the action:

Shenzhen 1 - 0 Chongqing Lifan : WRONG
I'm always kinda happy to watch Shenzhen win and this weekend they were able to come up with a home win. Both teams had decent chances in the 1st half, though neither were able to score. Then in the 2nd half, a long throw in (surprisingly lots of throw-in goals this weekend) and a sweet header off it put Shenzen up. Guinee had a number of good opportunities, but couldn't convert. Shenzhen had another chance before the end of the match, what probably should have been a penalty kick, but a non-call. This time around, it didn't matter, as they secured 3 points. Original prediction: Shenzhen 1-1 Chongqing.

Chengdu Blades 2 - 1 Guangzhou Baiyunshan : WRONG
Hmm...I wasn't so serious about the "spirit of Wenchuan" in my review, but they definitely played that aspect up before the match and it worked, Chengdu having seized on this and played one of the best games they've played all year. That spirit led to them jumping out right away and scoring in the first 10 minutes, they followed it up with a goal 5 minutes into the 2nd half, and all Guangzhou could muster was a late goal to make things look a little closer. Original prediction: Chengdu 0-2 Guangzhou.

Changsha Jinde 1 - 0 Hangzhou Greentown : WRONG
This was more of what you'd expect from Changsha, though the win was a little surprising. They jumped out to the lead 6 minutes into the match through their Korean pair, and from there, they focused on defense the rest of the game, with total shots for both sides combined still remaining in single digits, a surprise that this side is still moving up the table. Original prediction: Changsha 0-0 Hangzhou.

Jiangsu Sainty 2 - 1 Dalian Shide : RIGHT
Jiangsu's a plucky side that wants to not only stay up, but impress, and they did this week. A great free kick chance early that was foiled led to another free kick moments later and this time Jiangsu put it away to start a frenetic 10 minutes of football. 3 minutes after the Jiangsu goal, Zhao Xuri responded with a nice header off a free kick to equalize, though 7 minutes later, Jiangsu took back the lead, again off a free kick, this time with a header better than Zhao's. Jiangsu had multiple great chances the rest of the match, but hit posts or were just wide, Ahn alone had 2 good chances for Dalian in the 2nd half, but was unable to convert. Then there was the crazy ending, where 4 yellow cards and 2 reds were shown (one red for each team) in the last 10 minutes, in what ended as a very rough affair. Original prediction: Jiangsu 2-1 Dalian.


Shaanxi Zhongxin 0 - 1 Tianjin Teda : RIGHT
It was a wet day in Xian and it turned out to be a sad one too as the home side couldn't keep the magic they had 2 weeks ago against Guoan and instead were simply outplayed by a Tianjin side. Teda had a number of excellent chances, including a controversial call 10 minutes in when Hao Junmin was called offside. They dominated 1st half chances, though were unable to score. Shaanxi played a little better in the 2nd, with a few decent chances, but Tianjin was finally able to score 2 minutes from time when the keeper came up with the 1st save, but gave up a rebound which Tianjin put away. Original prediction: Shaanxi 0-1 Tianjin.

Changchun Yatai 2 - 6 Beijing Guoan : RIGHT
For the full write-up, go here. A beautiful day! Original prediction: Changchun 0-1 Beijing.


Henan Construction 1 - 3 Shandong Luneng : RIGHT
In another high scoring game, again in rainy weather, it was an interesting clash between 2 sides tied for top spot. Olisadebe had a number of chances for Henan, and although he was able to set up Henan's 1st goal, I bet he rues those misses. Shandong had a sudden burst of action a little after the hour mark, scoring the 1st goal off a beautiful long shot that Henan claimed didn't cross the line, followed up by a Han Peng flying header that has to be one of the goals of the season, knocked in just minutes later. Antar killed off any hope the home fans may have had in extra time, putting the game on ice. Original prediction: Henan 1-2 Shandong.

Shanghai Shenhua 1 - 1 Qingdao Zhongneng : WRONG
Any weekend Shanghai loses (or in this case doesn't win) is a happy one for me, and this time around it was especially sweet as Guoan was able to jump over them in the standings. There were plenty of chances for both sides, though Shanghai especially had a fair number of bad mistakes. Qingdao struck first in the 71st minute off a decent shot, but nothing too challenging and surprisingly they kept up the pressure, coming close a few more times. However, in the end it was a long throw in to a wide open Mao Jianqing, massively blown defense on Qingdao's part, who knocked in a header just before the game's conclusion. This Shanghai team has some serious problems, especially considering this was a home performance. Original Prediction: Shanghai 2-0 Qingdao.

So some surprises means I go 4-4 yet again, putting the season total at 29-27. More Friday football this week, I'm ready for a good one.

CSL Matchday 8 Previer

Looking forward to an interesting weekend of football? Right now, I'm 25-23 on the season, hoping for a good week this time around, though there are a number of tough games to call. Only 2 matches on Saturday, though a handful of interesting clashes on Sunday. This league is one where parody definitely exists, as things stand right now, only 10 points separate first and last place. Currently, 3 teams are tied at the top of the table, so it will be interesting to see how it all shakes out over the weekend:

5.9 15:30 Shenzhen - Chongqing Lifan
Here we go, our first game of the week and while it probably won't be a pretty one, its a tough one to call. It's still early days, but this is an important game in the relegation battle, with Shenzhen in dead last on 4 points and Chongqing only a point better. Shenzhen's been struggling a lot lately, after having a good start. Chongqing was able to get a result last week and should be able to get one this week (or at least a draw, damn its tough), especially due to my main man Guinee. Prediction: Shenzhen 1 - 1 Chongqing.

5.9 15:30 Chengdu Blades - Guangzhou Baiyunshan
There's always talk about how sports are important for healing, well, if that's true, then this Chengdu home game, coming just a few days before the 1 year anniversary of the Wenchuan earthquake, should help motivate the squad to get a home win. Unfortunately for Chengdu, they face a team at the opposite end of the table, and Guangzhou will be looking to capitalize as they are definitely making a play for the title. Prediction: Chengdu 0 - 2 Guangzhou.

5.10 15:30 Changsha Jinde - Hangzhou Greentown
Changsha's back at home? What the hell is up with their schedule? Their fans have to be extremely worried as they'll be on the road a ton during the second half of the season. Hangzhou is another team looking to capitalize against a weaker side on paper, and only sit 4 points away from the lead. I don't think Hangzhou has enough, though, to break through Changsha's trap, especially on the road. Prediction: Changsha 0 - 0 Hangzhou.

5.10 15:30 Jiangsu Sainty - Dalian Shide
This is one of the better games on Sunday, as Jiangsu's flying high and playing at home against a Dalian side that can't figure out if they want to be good or not (yet they have earned 12 points). I'm giving the edge to Jiangsu, their defense is solid and should be able to shut down Ahn, even though he's been coming on strong as of late. Jiangsu should be able to poach a goal or two in this one. Prediction: Jiangsu 2 - 1 Dalian.

5.10 15:30 Shaanxi Zhongxin - Tianjin Teda
Which Shaanxi team is going to come to the party? Which Tianjin team? Shaanxi does a solid job of earning results when playing at home, but turns to crap when going on the road. Tianjin will be pumped up having earned their first ever Champions League win in midweek, though this team is too hard to understand, good up front, but weak at the back, anything can happen in this one. Prediction: Shaanxi 0 - 1 Tianjin.

5.10 15:30 Changchun Yatai - Beijing Guoan
>One of the better clashes of the weekend, (tied) top of the table Changchun welcomes Beijing to the Northeast, for a full preview, watch this space. I'm going purely with my heart on this one... Prediction: Changchun 0 - 1 Beijing.

5.10 19:30 Henan Construction - Shandong Luneng
Yet another excellent match, arguably the best of the weekend, these two teams are tied at the top of the table and will be going head to head in Zhengzhou. Henan's attack is strong, but will they be able to deal with Shandong's size, namely Han Peng and Antar? Despite going on the road, Shandong has enough to get by Henan, though it should be close. Prediction: Henan 1 - 2 Shandong.

5.10 19:45 Shanghai Shenhua - Qingdao Zhongneng
Shanghai gets an easy home fixture after a few tough road ones both domestic and internationally. Qingdao is coming off a victory last week, but it would be too much to expect 3 points from them in this one. This match should (argh) help Shanghai get back to winning ways and get them closer to the top in a fighting position for the title. Prediction: Shanghai 2 - 0 Qingdao.

CSL Matchday 7 Recap

I started out this week 21-19, an average week this week with a couple of close games saw me go 4-4, for a total of 25-23 on the season. The big Friday night games were exciting and led the way for a really great weekend of football, let's get to it:

Beijing Guoan 0 - 0 Shanghai Shenhua : RIGHT
The full write up's here. Great, hard fought game, bad refereeing, and good goalkeeping meant Guoan walked away with a disappointing draw. Original Prediction: Beijing 1-1 Shanghai.

Tianjin Teda 0 - 1 Shandong Luneng : RIGHT
In the other Friday night action, Tianjin got off to a good start, pumped up by the home holiday crowd, with 2 excellent 1st half chances that they failed to put away, one of them, in the 21st minute, was on an open net. It was a tough game for Hao Junmin and Wu Wei'an and the rest of the Tianjin squad as chance after chance went just wide or was saved by big Li Leilei. After all that frustration, it had to kill them being beaten by a beautiful header from Han Peng with only 5 minutes left in the match. Original Prediction: Tianjin 1-2 Shandong.

Changchun Yatai 3 - 1 Shenzhen : RIGHT
This game got very exciting very early with Shenzhen stunning the home side with a headed goal 7 minutes into the game. It took Changchun almost the entire half, but they responded in the 41st minute when Du Zhenyu set up Cao Tianbao for the goal. The two combined on the other side of half time when Du to Cao equalled the go-ahead goal in the 49th minute. Ai Zhibo added a 3rd, and once again the goal was set up by Du, the home team walked away with an easy 3 points. Original prediction: Changchun 2-0 Shenzhen.

Qingdao Zhongneng 2 - 1 Shaanxi Zhongxin : WRONG
A perfect example of the age old expression, this is why they play the games. Shaanxi came into this game looking strong after beating Beijing the week before and even though they were on the road, they were licking their chops to play this fairly weak Qingdao side. However, Qingdao and veteran Qu Bo had different plans for this one. Qu was a promising youth player who came to prominence as a part of Milutinovic's 2002 World Cup, but since then he hasn't gotten a lot of attention and has remained with Qingdao, despite interest from other clubs. The first goal was a strange one, coming 10 minutes in, when a failed Shaanxi clearance was played back into the box, the defense was all ball watching and thought Qu was offside, the goalie was also asleep and Qu beat him to the ball and tucked it away on an empty net. Shaanxi came back with a great opportunistic header by Marvin Avila to level the game, though Qu put it away with a header in the last 10 minutes to give Qingdao all 3 points. Original Prediction: Qingdao 0-1 Shaanxi.

Guangzhou Baiyunshan 1 - 0 Jiangsu Sainty : WRONG
As was expected, these two teams went at each other in a very even match, with both sides getting good chances. That venue in Guangzhou is a very nice one, unlike a lot of the stadiums, fans seem really close to the pitch and there seems to be a nice slant so even the highest seats are still close to the action, I hope I can check it out at some point. Fortunately it seems like the Guangzhou fans are pretty civilized, if that was in Beijing, the field would be so covered with debris that it would be impossible to play. Anyways, back to the match, while Guangzhou had a few more chances than Jiangsu, both teams deserved a point, however, a questionable penalty kick was given to Guangzhou in the 84th minute. There were two fouls, one just outside the box that was more obvious and one inside the box that was a lot less so. Xu Liang stepped up and coolly knocked the penalty in, his league leading 6th goal (though half have been penalty kicks) to secure 3 points. Original Prediction: Guangzhou 1-1 Jiangsu.

Hangzhou Greentown 1 - 1 Chongqing Lifan : WRONG
On a rainy Saturday in Hangzhou, the home team disappointed the (small) crowd that came out. The highlight of the 1st half was Otto converting a penalty kick in the 24th minute after a Hangzhou player was pulled down in the box. The 2nd half was also fairly uneventful, except for a Chongqing goal scored not by Guinee, but he was important in setting it up, with a sweet pass across the middle and his fellow foreigner burying it to equalize the game and earn Chongqing a point. Original Prediction: Hangzhou 2-1 Chongqing.

Henan Construction 1 - 1 Chengdu Blades : WRONG
In the biggest surprise of the weekend, league leaders Henan only managed a point at home against cellar dwellers Chengdu. Right off the bat Chengdu opened things up with a goal in the 7th minute when Shi Jun shocked the home team off a free kick. Henan immediately went on the attack to equalize with their two headed attack of Netto and Olisadebe both producing good chances though it was Xu Yang who finally netted the equalizer in the 28th minute. From then on Henan dominated the chances, though they were unable to get another one past and were forced to settle for one point. Original Prediction: Henan 2-0 Chengdu.

Dalian Shide 1 - 0 Changsha Jinde : RIGHT
Changsha had to go on the road for only the 2nd time this season. Both teams were able to create some decent chances in the 1st half, with Changsha surprisingly looking like the better side (or at least the one with the more threatening attack). In the 2nd half, Dalian regrouped and looked the better side, finally scoring in the 60th minute when Dong Fangzhuo headed on a nice cross to Ahn Junghwan put it away. Whether or not Ahn was offside is something that can be debated, but the goal stood and Changsha was unable to respond. Original Prediction: Dalian 1-0 Changsha.

CSL Matchday 7 Preview

A 3 day weekend means 3 days of football, so lots of action for the fans

5.1 19:30 Beijing Guoan - Shanghai Shenhua
This will be one of the hardest games for me to predict all year. I so want to go with my heart here, but both sides have been all over the place this season. Fuck it, I'm still going with my heart. Umm, no... Prediction: Beijing 1 - 1 Shanghai.

5.1 19:30 Tianjin Teda - Shandong Luneng
In the other big May Day face off, the other two Chinese sides in the Champions League face off against each other in Tianjin. Shandong has been going strong as of late and top to bottom they still look like one of the league's best teams. On the other hand, Tianjin's defense is almost non-existant, despite their solid attack. This is going to be an important match early on to decide on positioning as Tianjin's in 2nd and Shandong is in 3rd right now. Prediction: Tianjin 1 - 2 Shandong.

5.2 14:00 Changchun Yatai - Shenzhen
Changchun's done well at home this season and I've already sworn off picking Shenzhen in almost all situations. I have little confidence in what Shenzhen will do on the road and expect Changchun to continue their success this week. Prediction: Changchun 2 - 0 Shenzhen.

5.2 15:30 Qingdao Zhongneng - Shaanxi Zhongxin
Shaanxi's coming off a big win against Beijing as they face off against a Qingdao side that is trying to get themselves clear of the relegation zone. Qingdao's been on the road a lot this year and so having a home matchup will be beneficial but they don't have enough firepower to win this one. Prediction: Qingdao 0 - 1 Shaanxi.

5.2 15:30 Guangzhou Baiyunshan - Jiangsu Sainty
This will be a very interesting game as Jiangsu heads down south to face off against Guangzhou, it's definitely Saturday's best matchup. Guangzhou is a very decent team, while Jiangsu has been the plucky outsiders all year long, they could easily be much higher in the standings than they currently are. This could very well be your nil-nil CSL snorefest as Jiangsu's defense is strong enough to shut down the Guangzhou attack and probably won't get many counterattack opportunities. Prediction: Guangzhou 1 - 1 Jiangsu.

5.2 19:30 Hangzhou Greentown - Chongqing Lifan
This is one that looks like it could be fairly easy to predict, Hangzhou should have a fairly easy waltz on their way to 3 points at home, but its never easy to predict against Chongqing. Chongqing's Guinee is a grown ass man who is single handedly an offensive weapon, a real goal threat, but the goals don't come from many other spots. Hangzhou has their own scoring threats, this one could get interesting. Prediction: Hangzhou 2 - 1 Chongqing.

5.2 19:35 Henan Construction - Chengdu Blades
Henan is sitting at the top of the table right now and it doesn't look like much will change after this weekend. Their attack is one of the better ones in the league and they are facing off against the team at the very bottom of the table, a Chengdu team that has managed a meager 2 goals in 6 matches. This one should be pretty one sided. Prediction: Henan 2 - 0 Chengdu.

5.3 15:30 Dalian Shide - Changsha Jinde
Why is Changsha always playing in the lone Sunday match? I'm sick of seeing them on tv as the only match in town on Sunday afternoons, especially because they are so incredibly boring. Can't someone at CSL fix this massive scheduling problem? Changsha's finally traveling again and hopefully this will cause them to actually play some football. Unfortunately, I don't expect that to be the case. They should, however, be the perfect side for Dalian to regroup against after losing to Chongqing last week. Expect a low scoring game, but Ahn to play a part in the goal that makes the difference. Prediction: Dalian 1 - 0 Changsha.

CSL Matchday 6 Recap

What a rough week! I go 2-6 and only 6 goals scored in 8 matches made for some pretty piss poor football. Nothing more needs to be said, let's go to the games:


Changsha Jinde 0 - 0 Guangzhou Baiyunshan : WRONG
What a way to start! This crappy snorefest shows that Changsha got their mojo back and are once again playing their anti-football as the masters of the nil-nil draw. Some decent chances for both teams, but not much to talk about. Original Prediction: Changsha 0 - 1 Guangzhou.

Jiangsu Sainty 0 - 0 Henan Construction : WRONG
Saturday was all about the nil-nil as upstarts Jiangsu faced off against top of the table Henan. The home side outshot the visitors, but it was Netto's header just wide that was the best scoring chance in the 1st half. Jiangsu dominated the 2nd half chances, but still came up short as both teams walk away with a point and Henan stays on top. Original Prediction: Jiangsu 2 - 3 Henan.


Shenzhen 0 - 1 Hangzhou Greentown : WRONG
Okay, so I have a soft spot for Shenzhen that has been exposed week in, week out. If I go with my heart instead of my brain again this year, I deserve to be punched. Shenzhen is a bad football team, they just escaped going down last year and it would be no surprise if they fall this year. In the rainy conditions in Shenzhen, they failed to convert on a 1st half penalty kick, and then were beaten by an Otto goal minutes into the 2nd half. Original Prediction: Shenzhen 1 - 1 Hangzhou.


Chongqing Lifan 1 - 0 Dalian Shide : WRONG
I thought Dalian's performance last week was a turning point in their season, it seemed like some of their squad were finally starting to come together, however a road defeat in Chongqing is a massive disappointment. Chongqing isn't a very good team, but Guinee is a damn good forward and his bulk and power make him extremely difficult to stop. Good chances fell to him as well as Dalian's Ahn in the 1st half, but it was Guinee's early 2nd half goal that made the difference. The goal was on a penalty kick, coming off a good scoring chance where he was pushed in the back. Dalian tried to get back into it, but didn't have enough to equalize. Original Prediction: Chongqing 0 - 2 Dalian.


Chengdu Blades 0 - 1 Tianjin Teda : RIGHT
Tianjin needed to regroup and facing Chengdu would be a fairly easy way to do that, however they didn't make things easy for themselves. Much of the 1st half was controlled by Chengdu, though Tianjin had a decent counterattack. In the 2nd half, Hao Junmin was able to make some moves on a defender and knock in a goal midway through the half that was enough to secure them 3 points and move them into 2nd place. Original Prediction: Chengdu 1 - 2 Tianjin.


Changchun Yatai 1 - 0 Shanghai Shenhua : WRONG
Yes, I was wrong, but this is one I love to be wrong about. Cao Tianbao's header off a 1st half corner was enough in what was a fairly rough game, as has been Shanghai's trend this year, Changchun received 4 yellow cards and Shanghai received 6, Yu Tao personally received 2 of the cards and so was shown red in the 51st minute. Actually going down a man helped Shanghai briefly as they quickly came up with 2 solid chances, but neither made it past the keeper. Changchun regrouped and made some substitutions and was able to claim a nice victory over Shenhua. Original Prediction: Changchun 1 - 1 Shanghai.


Shaanxi Zhongxin 1 - 0 Beijing Guoan : WRONG
See the full, miserable write-up on this here. Sad...Original Prediction: Shaanxi 0 - 1 Beijing.

Shandong Luneng 1 - 0 Qingdao Zhongneng : RIGHT
The Shandong derby should have been full of fireworks, though as expected Qingdao was a little more pumped up to play in this one. Qingdao went on the attack early and probably should have been given a penalty kick, though Shandong quickly responded with some chances of its own. The lone goal came early in the first half off a beautifully delivered Wang Yongpo free kick from just outside the box. Shandong continued to press, but was unable to get another goal, while Qingdao came up with a few counter attacking opportunities, game ends, Shandong wins, end of story. Original Prediction: Shandong 3 - 1 Qingdao.

2-6 for the week, but maintaining my 21-19 winning record for the season...

CSL Matchday 6 Preview Part 2

Due to some personal obligations, I sort of took a few days off, but I'm back and (almost) better than ever. Like a lot of Guoan fans, I'm looking forward to May 1, not for the holiday, but for our match against 9-1. Yes, it's about that time, the team formerly known as Shanghai Shenhua will now go by 9-1. My predictions were shit yesterday, so was the football, but there are some pretty tasty matchups to look forward to today, here goes:

4.26  15:30    Chongqing Lifan - Dalian Shide

However you want to slice or dice it, Chongqing's a crap football team.  Dalian is not, they've been mediocre for much of the season, but it seems like Ahn Junghwan is finally adjusting to the CSL and getting more opportunities.  While it's not always easy to play in Chongqing, this one should be pretty cut and dry.  Prediction: Chongqing 0-2 Dalian.

4.26  15:30     Chengdu Blades - Tianjin Teda

There was a time a few weeks back that Tianjin coming to town would be something to fear, now its nothing special.  This Tianjin side has been totally exposed as a solid attacking team with absolutely no defense.  Fortunately for them, Chengdu's attack isn't very strong and so Tianjin should have no problem outscoring them.  It's going to be a fight, but Tianjin should win in the end.  Prediction: Chengdu 1 - 2 Tianjin.

4.26  15:30     Changchun Yatai - 9-1

Changchun delivered an excellent fixture when they went head to head against Shandong, can they do the same against 9-1?  9-1 is coming off a midweek loss in Korea and will hope to regroup, their inconsistency over the season makes it hard to predict which 9-1 side will come out.  This being in Changchun, I have a feeling its going to be a pretty tight match.  Prediction: Changchun 1 - 1 Shanghai.

4.26  16:00     Shaanxi Zhongxin - Beijing Guoan

Our guys in green take on the northwest wolves on the road (full preview here), they're up for it, but this has been a pretty screwy weekend so far, I could definitely see this ending in a draw, but I'm confident in Guoan.  Prediction: Shaanxi 1 - 2 Guoan.

4.26  19:30     Shandong Luneng - Qingdao Zhongneng

We have derby day in Jinan as Shandong and Qingdao do battle in prime time.  Shandong only managed a midweek draw in Seoul, while Qingdao has struggled all season.  There's always talk about throwing the records out for a derby, and you gotta expect a lot of effort from Qingdao, but it takes more than effort to win a football match.  Shandong should cruise to a win, with Antar putting in one of the goals.  Prediction: Shandong 3 - 1 Qingdao.

CSL Matchday 6 Preview Part 1

Changsha Jinde - Guangzhou Baiyunshan
Changsha is back at home and that's a scary thing for football fans. Guangzhou's attack is solid, led by the CSL's leading scorer, Xu Liang, while Changsha's defense can hold back many defenses, Guangzhou will be too much. Prediction: Changsha 0-1 Guangzhou.

Jiangsu Sainty - Henan Construction
Henan is at the top of the table and upstarts Jiangsu have been playing excellent football. The foreign heavy Henan attack should just squeak past Jiangsu's Wuhan pair. Prediction: Jiangsu 2-3 Henan.

Shenzhen - Hangzhou Greentown
Can Shenzhen finally take advantage of being at home? Hangzhou is a beatable side, but Shenzhen will have to play more like they did against Shandong rather than their nightmare against Shanghai. For Hangzhou, this is a match that decides what kind of season they will have, signs point to it not being good. Prediction: Shenzhen 1-1 Hangzhou.

Sorry for the brief post shying away from the format, but this is done entirely on an iPhone as I try to get these out before tomorrow's games. Special thanks to Pass By Bar, whose wireless i'm using to write this. It's nice to have visitors but everything will be back to normal and my full preview of Guoan's match will be up.

Wherever you are this Friday night, raise a glass, cheers Beijing.

CSL Matchday 5 Preview

Here we go again, 12-12 on the season, hoping for a winning weekend. We've got CSL football, the FA Cup, the Stanley Cup playoffs, and the NBA too, what a weekend for sports. But by far the most exciting game of the weekend will be the first one, let's do this thing:

4.17 19:30 Shandong Luneng - Beijing Guoan
Unfortunately (I shouldn't be using that word), I have something called a job, which means I'll be watching this one from Beijing instead of sitting in Jinan, but such is life. For the full match preview, go here. I'm in a pickle, I want to predict this one for Guoan, but I also don't want to jinx them, therefore, its a draw. Prediction: Shandong 1 - 1 Beijing.

4.17 19:30 Tianjin Teda - Jiangsu Sainty
What am I to think of these 2 sides? Can Tianjin's defeat last week be ignored, chalked up to the bad weather? Jiangsu's squad isn't looking like a newly promoted team, they're looking solid, and it seems almost every year a newly promoted team makes a respectable showing. It's going to be an interesting match, but I think Tianjin's just got more firepower. Prediction: Tianjin 2 - 1 Jiangsu.

4.17 19:45 Shanghai Shenhua - Shenzhen
I really hate Shanghai and really hope Shenzhen can earn a result in this one, I really want to predict that they will, but....I just don't see it happening. Shenzhen will be going to Hongkou, a tough place to play, and they just don't have the horses. Prediction: Shanghai 1 - 0 Shenzhen.

4.18 14:30 Dalian Shide - Hangzhou Greentown
Both these sides have 2 wins and 2 losses and both won last week. Dalian isn't what they used to be, but they still have a lot of talent, and while Otto is a heck of a player, Hangzhou's squad isn't strong enough to get this tough win on the road. Prediction: Dalian 2 - 0 Hangzhou.

4.18 15:30 Changchun Yatai - Shaanxi Zhongxin
Changchun was a sleeper pick for this year's league title, but they've looked far from impressive in this year's first 4 matches. Shaanxi is always going to give you a difficult match, but they are a few players short of being a title contender. Changchun's struggles will continue as Shaanxi has just enough to hold them off. Prediction: Changchun 1 - 1 Shaanxi.

4.18 16:00 Henan Construction - Changsha Jinde
It had to happen at some point this season and this is the week it does, Changsha will finally leave the comforts of home and travel to Zhengzhou. Changsha earned their 1st win of the season against Tianjin last week, but that was an odd game due to the torrential downpour. Henan is high flying with 3 wins and is currently sitting top of the table, alongside Tianjin. I can't see Changsha pulling off 2 upsets in a row and even their defensive minded football won't be enough against Netto and Olisadebe. Prediction: Henan 1 - 0 Changsha.

4.18 19:30 Guangzhou Baiyunshan - Chongqing Lifan
Chonqing has some attacking skill, but beyond that, they aren't a very good team and this newly promoted team could be yo-yoing back down fairly quickly. Guangzhou is a mid-table side with some definite talent. Prediction: Guangzhou 2 - 0 Chongqing

4.19 15:30 Qingdao Zhongneng - Chengdu Blades
The Sunday spotlight falls to these two average sides as they go head to head in Qingdao. These two are both hoping not to be relegated this season, but I have a feeling (more just a hope, but oh well) Chengdu's going down. Prediction: Qingdao 2 - 1 Chengdu.

So there you go, I have a feeling a number of these will go wrong, but let's hope all the action isn't just on Friday night.

Matchday 3 Recap

Results this week were very interesting, especially Shanghai's stunning victory, so let's not wait:

Tianjin Teda 2 - 0 Chongqing Lifan: RIGHT

Tianjin netted two 1st half goals, one by Wang Xinxin, and then cruised through the 2nd half, this team's league performance is head and shoulders above everyone else.  Original prediction: Tianjin 3 - 0 Chongqing.

Beijing Guoan 1 - Jiangsu Sainty: WRONG

The matchday review says it all.

Shanghai Shenhua 4 - 1 Shandong Luneng: WRONG

Shandong's Antar scored yet another CSL goal, opening up the scoring, but Shenhua came back with 2 very lucky goals in the last 5 minutes of the half.  Adding two more in the 2nd half killed the game and gave Shanghai a big boost going into Champions League matchday 3.  Original prediction: Shangha 1 - 1 Shandong

Shenzhen 2 - 1 Shaanxi Zhongxin: RIGHT

Shenzhen had a magical 5 minutes, scoring goals in the 27th and 30th minutes of the 1st half to jump ahead of Shaanxi, whose 2nd half response wasn't enough to make up the difference, I got this one on the button.  Original prediction: Shenzhen 2 - 1 Shaanxi

Changchun Yatai 2 - 0 Chengdu Blades: RIGHT

Another crazy game, Changchun broke the scorelessness in the 85th minute and then followed it up with another two minutes later.  Chengdu came back with a great free kick chance in stoppage time, but to no avail.  Original prediction: Changchun 1 - 0 Chengdu

Changsha Jinde 1 - 1 Qingdao Zhongneng: RIGHT

Another big bingo!  Yet this one was easy to call, so far Changsha has managed 3 draws, only scoring 1 goal, its pretty easy to guess what their anti-football will produce, this time Qingdao was the victim.  Original prediction Changsha 1 - 1 Qingdao.

Henan Jianye 2 - 0 Hangzhou Greentown: RIGHT

Another game where the score was kept even for a long time and then was shocked by a sudden scoring spree.  The former Polish international Olisadebe knocked in a brace with goals in the 79th and 84th minutes of the match.  Only good thing I can say for Hangzhou is that they were all wearing the same jersey this time around.  Original prediction: Henan 2 - 1 Hangzhou

Guangzhou Baiyunshan 3 - 1 Dalian Shide: WRONG

What can I say, I thought Dalian was a better squad than what it turns out they are.  I knew this team was rebuilding, but I thought it would be better.  At the half the score was 1-1 after a Xu Liang spot kick goal and then one of Dalian's Korean exports knocking one past the keeper 10 minutes later.  Xu added 2 more in the 2nd half, one off yet another penalty, the other from a free kick that has to be one of the prettiest goals scored to date.  Original prediction: Guangzhou 0 - 2 Dalian.

A 5-3 week, a major improvement from last week, but it still leaves me only 8-8 on the season.  Here's hoping for more great football this week.

Matchday 3 League Preview

This weekend sees 4 days of matches, lots of football action for the fans, including a holiday Monday matchup. Last week I went 3-5, hopefully this week will be a lot better.

4.03 19:30 Tianjin Teda - Chongqing Lifan
Due to the Champions League, we get treated to some Friday evening football, with 3 out of the 4 CL competitors playing at home. Tianjin has a perfect 6 points in CSL competition so far and taking on a whipping boy like Chongqing at home should be another easy 3 points for them. Prediction: Tianjin 3 - 0 Chongqing (though I wouldn't be surprised if Guinee continues his scoring streak)

4.03 19:30 Beijing Guoan - Jiangsu Sainty
Guoan is unbeaten in all competitions, having won twice at home and drawing twice on the road. A Friday night at Gongti is a rare experience and its sure to be a raucous crowd that will watch the Green Lions face off against last year's 1st division champions who've yet to earn a point this year. Should be easy pickings for Guoan. Prediction: Beijing 2 - 0 Jiangsu

4.03 19:30 Shanghai Shenhua - Shandong Luneng
This is the matchup of the weekend, last year's champion, Shandong, travels to Shanghai to take on last year's runners up. This one's hard to call with Shanghai playing at home in Hongkou and trying to recover from last week's debacle. Will be a great one. Prediction: Shanghai 1 - 1 Shandong

4.04 15:30 Shenzhen - Shaanxi Zhongxin
I like Shenzhen and believe in them after their away draw against Shandong, but last week was a tough derby loss. Shaanxi's also coming off a loss and looking to get back in form, in these early days, this is a hard call, but I'm sticking with Shenzhen in Saturday's only match. Prediction: Shenzhen 2 - 1 Shaanxi

4.05 15:30 Changchun Yatai - Chengdu Blades
Changchun opens up their home season tonight against a Chengdu team that has to be excited after their win over Shenhua. The elements in Changchun and the strength of that side should carry them past the Blades in a close one. Prediction: Changchun 1 - 0 Chengdu

4.05 15:30 Changsha Jinde - Qingdao Zhongneng
Two teams toward the bottom of the table go head to head in Hunan. Changsha plays anti-football and is incredibly boring to watch, but its been relatively effective so far earning them 2 points in 2 matchs, I have a feeling we're looking at another draw for them. Prediction: Changsha 1 - 1 Qingdao

4.05 15:30 Henan Jianye - Hangzhou Greentown
A win and a loss for each of these teams so far this season, Hangzhou's going to put up a fight (in its 2 different kits), but Henan and Netto will push past. Prediction: Henan 2 - 1 Hangzhou

4.06 16:00 Guangzhou Baiyunshan - Dalian Shide
The big holiday Monday matchup in Guangzhou as the home side takes on Dalian. Both teams are coming off a win, Guangzhou in their local derby and Dalian over Henan, but I don't think Guangzhou has the guns to get past Dalian. Prediction: Guangzhou 0 - 2 Dalian

Matchday 2 Recap

Matchday 2 offered a lot less scoring than its first incarnation and some more surprises.  While I did pretty crappy on my predictions, as the season moves on and things start to become clear, I should be doing a lot better.

Dalian Shide 1 - 0 Henan Jianye : WRONG

Zhao Mingjian opened up Dalian's home campaign on a positive note by scoring the matches only goal to help them win 1-0.  My 1-1 prediction was a bit off.

Shandong Luneng 1 - 0 Shaanxi Zhongxin : RIGHT

I was a little surprised with how Shaanxi didn't come out to play.  Shandong dominated their home opener and had a number of chances, Lebanese midfielder Antar knocked in the difference maker in the 57th minute toe seal the game.  Original prediction Shandong 2 - 1 Shaanxi.

Chengdu Blades 1 - 0 Shanghai Shenhua : WRONG

I was wrong about this match, but happily so, by far this was my favorite result of the weekend, it almost makes up for Du Wenhui's error.  You see, there's nothing I love more than seeing Shanghai lose as I really, really hate Shanghai.  I also really hate Mao Jianqing, seeing him miss time and again and blow chances made me extremely happy.

Chongqing Lifan 1 - 1 Qingdao Zhongneng : RIGHT

The only game I nailed, Guinee scored his 2nd goal of the CSL campaign to lead the league in scoring off a corner kick in the 11th minute, this guy's going to be pretty unstoppable throughout the season even though his team will be horrible.  Qingdao's equalizer came from Li Taiyong just before halftime.

Jiangsu Sainty 0 - 1 Changchun Yatai : WRONG

Jiangsu is very unlucky not to have a point, they played hard against Shanghai Shenhua and in their home opener they had a lot of chances, but just couldn't put one away.  They even had a penalty kick that was missed, these are opportunities that they'll need to put away if they want to stay up.  Changchun capitalized on Jiangsu's weak attack knocking in a header off a set piece to win the match.  I said 1-nil to Jiangsu, in fact it turned out the other way, if they don't turn things around its going to be a long season as they are now the only team without a point.

Shenzhen 1 - 2 Guangzhou Baiyunshan : WRONG

I got the score right, but had the wrong team winning as Shenzhen failed to repeat their impressive performance in the season's opening game.  Guangzhou's goals came off of 2 headers, 1 late in the first half and the other late in the 2nd sandwiching a 2nd half Shenzhen goal.  Xu Liang scored the winning goal for Guangzhou, securing them the first of the year's Guangdong derbies.

Hangzhou Greentown 0 - 2 Tianjin Teda : RIGHT

Tianjin continued their success with a 2-nil win at Hangzhou with a goal n the 20th minute off a Mao Biao cross into the box and a scramble in which Wang Xinxin finally put the ball in the net, Cao Yang killed the game in the 86th minute off a sweet goal giving Tianjin the win.  A 2-0 scoreline would appear to be a one-sided drubbing, but reality was far different with chance after chance falling to Hangzhou players who simply couldn't put the ball in the net.  Tianjin remains at the top of the league, with a perfect record so far.

Changsha Jinde 0 - 0 Beijing Guoan : WRONG

Du Wenhui, must I say more?!?

A pretty miserable first week, getting only 3 out of the 8 matches right.

Matchday 2 League Preview

The first edition of picks sure to go wrong starts now:

3.28  15:00     Dalian Shide - Henan Jianye 

Henan opened strong, while Dalian will want to make up for their tough loss when they open at home, however, they don't seem to have the tools, a 1-1 fight between the squads is what I predict.

3.28  15:10     Shandong Luneng - Shaanxi Zhongxin 

Shandong remains at home to take on Shaanxi in what could be the best match of the day.  Can Shandong make up for the loss of Zhou Haibin in the off-season?  Who is going to step up for them?  Can Shaanxi make the step to the next level?  This game could help answer some of those questions.  Prediction: Shandong 2 - 1 Shaanxi

3.28  15:30     Chengdu Blades - Shanghai Shenhua

Chengdu welcomes Shanghai to town as they open up their season at home, I predict lots of talk about how Chengdu is percervering after the earthquake and the hated Shanghai cruising to a victory.  Prediction: Chengdu 0 - 2 Shanghai

3.28  15:30     Chongqing Lifan - Qingdao Zhongneng

After what I saw of Chongqing in Beijing, they do have a dangerous side to them, mainly through their big man up top Guinee.  Qingdao is a midtable squad that will meet their match in this one.  Prediction: Chongqing 1-1 Qingdao

3.28 15:30     Jiangsu Sainty - Changchun Yatai

Changchun opened up disappointingly while Jiangsu lost in a late shocker.  It will be interesting to see if newly promoted Jiangsu will continue punching above their weight in their home opener.  Prediction: Jiangsu 1 - 0 Changchun

3.28  15:30     Shenzhen - Guangzhou Baiyunshan

It's derby day in Shenzhen as these two Guangdong squads do battle.  These are two of the league's younger teams featuring a lot of players that are sure to have gone up against each other a lot in local Guangdong youth matches and so its going to be interesting.  Shenzhen was impressive in their first game and I think they'll continue their tactics and wear down Guangzhou to come away with the win.  Prediction: Shenzhen 2 - 1 Guangzhou

3.28  19:30     Hangzhou Greentown - Tianjin Teda

The night's only match will be an interesting test for Hangzhou, as they'll be facing one of the league's premier squads.  Tianjin will be facing its first road challenge, but it shouldn't have a great effect on them.  Prediction:  Hangzhou 1 - 3 Tianjin

3.29  15:30     Changsha Jinde - Beijing Guoan

The only Sunday start, allowing Guoan to feature on national tv as they head to Hunan.  Changsha doesn't have the guns and Guoan have shown themselves to be strong in these early days.  Because I don't want to tempt fate and sound overconfident, I'm going to tone down my choice.  Prediction: Changsha 0 - 2 Beijing