11/08/2026 04:27:00
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11/08 04:25 CST Dalian Yingbo overturns 14-point gap with 5 games left to win
unlikely Chinese Super League title
Dalian Yingbo overturns 14-point gap with 5 games left to win unlikely Chinese
Super League title
DALIAN, China (AP) --- Dalian Yingbo won the Chinese Super League title in
stunning fashion Sunday, winning its final five games of the season to overturn
a 14-point deficit.
Dalian began the day three points behind longtime leader Chengdu Rongcheng and
defeated Tianjin Jinmen Tigers 3-1 in front of 60,000 fans to take its first
championship.
Chengdu, coached by former Australia international John Aloisi, lost 3-2 at
Shandong Taishan to end the season in disappointment. The Sichuan club, top of
the standings since the opening day, needed just a point from the final four
games to take its first title but lost all four.
While Chengdu had a superior goal difference, the Chinese Super League
prioritizes head-to-head records between teams and Dalian had won both meetings
between them.
The dramatic finish contrasted with the start of the season, when nine of the
16 top-tier teams began their campaigns with points deductions, though Dalian
and Chengdu both escaped sanctions.
In January, the Chinese Football Association, the Ministry of Public Security
and the General Administration of Sport said the widespread punishments were
part of a "special campaign to crack down on match-fixing, gambling and
corruption in the football industry."
Defending champion Shanghai Port received a five-point deduction, while
runner-up Shanghai Shenhua began the season on -10.
Beijing Guoan was hit with a five-point penalty and finished third, three
points behind the top two.
Wuhan Three Towns and Qingdao Hainiu were relegated to League One.
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