It’s a tough grind at the bottom of the table, and for Ricardo Soares’ Changchun Yatai, the struggle just got a little tougher. This past Friday, his squad faced a mountain in league leaders Chengdu Rongcheng. They came up short, losing 1-0. This result firmly plants them at the very foot of the Chinese football championship after the 22nd round.
The deciding moment came early in the game. Wei Shihao, a 30-year-old Chinese striker, found the net just four minutes into the match. Football fans with a good memory might recall Shihao from his time playing in Portugal. He had spells with both Boavista and Leixões. His quick strike was the only goal of the entire contest. Things got even more eventful late in the game. Chengdu Rongcheng defender Dongsheng Wang received his second yellow card. He was sent off in the 81st minute. Both teams finished the match with just ten players each.
Up at the top, Chengdu Rongcheng held onto their comfortable lead. They now sit with 53 points. This puts them two points clear of second-place Shanghai Port, who have 51. But for Changchun Yatai, the view is much less pleasant. They are stuck in last place with just 16 points. The gap to safety could widen even further. The team just above them, Qingdao Hainiu in 15th place, still needs to play this round. Next Saturday, the 15th-placed team will host Shandong Taishan. Shandong Taishan currently holds fifth place.