Chengdu Rongcheng surrender 12-point lead as Dalian Yingbo snatch CSL title on final day
Chengdu Rongcheng missed out on the Chinese Super League title despite holding a 12-point advantage, losing 3-2 to Shandong Taishan as Dalian Yingbo beat Tianjin Tiger 3-1 to claim the trophy on head-to-head record.
Chengdu Rongcheng threw away a 12-point lead and the Chinese Super League title on the final day, losing 3-2 to Shandong Taishan while Dalian Yingbo beat Tianjin Tiger 3-1 to finish level on 52 points and take the Li Guozu trophy on a better head-to-head record.
John Aloisi's Chengdu side lost their final four matches and collected just one point from their last five, while Dalian won all five of theirs. The decisive head-to-head advantage included Dalian's victory over Chengdu in the penultimate game of the season.
Chengdu needed only a point on the last day but fell 2-0 behind inside 25 minutes through Raphael Merkies and Guilherme Madruga. Felipe Silva pulled one back before Cryzan restored Shandong's two-goal cushion, and although former Arsenal forward Wellington Silva scored with 11 minutes left, Chengdu could not find an equaliser.
Dalian, needing a home win, led inside five minutes through Yang Mingrui. Xadas equalised from the penalty spot in the 50th minute, but Liao Jintao restored the lead with 20 minutes remaining and Huang Shan sealed the result in stoppage time.
The collapse will be ranked among football's worst title surrenders. The article cites Kevin Keegan's Newcastle United, who gave up a 12-point lead to Manchester United in 1995-96, and Manchester United's own blown 12-point advantage over Arsenal in 1997-98.
Image: Getty Images / BBC Sport
