Beijing Guo'an wins Chinese Soccer League Championship
Monday, 2nd November 2009 ~ Maggie ~ Link ~ Comments (0)
As predicted twice now by CST writer Cameron Wilson (the first time more impressive than the second), Beijing Guo'an secured the Chinese Soccer League championship Saturday with a 4-0 win over Hangzhou Greentown. It's the first title for Guo'an.There's a lot wrong with the CSL, but at least in Beijing they are getting one thing right—they have built a fan base that actually really cares about their team. They show up to games and buy team gear, which is more than can be said for the local basketball team, the Beijing Ducks. Scuffles broke out in Beijing last when some couldn't get tickets to Guo'an's title-clinching game. Security was beefed up for the actual game—witness these photos from Beijing Boyce.
The level of play in the CSL is generally considered poor, but that doesn't stop the crowds from filling up the Workers' Stadium, many of them sporting the team's green jerseys. As for the Beijing team's success, David Yang at China Sports Review says the lion's share of credit should, but won't, go to Lee Jang-Soo (李章洙), the Korean coach who Yang says "transformed the way Guo'an played." Lee was fired about six weeks ago, even as his team sat in second place in the CSL. For an English language perspective on Guo'an's championship season, check out this Sina blog.
Tags: Beijing Guo'an, CSL, football, soccer, Workers' Stadium