John Aloisi's Chengdu blow Chinese Super League title on final day
In one of the most dramatic collapses in Chinese Super League history, John Aloisi’s Chengdu Rongcheng surrendered a 12-point advantage to lose the championship on the season's final day. Chengdu had enjoyed an early boost when several rival clubs were hit with points deductions, but Aloisi’s squad unraveled down the stretch, taking just one point from their last five matches and dropping four consecutive games. This allowed Dalian Yingbo to close the gap, leaving both teams tied on 52 points and giving Dalian the title on a superior head-to-head record after beating Chengdu twice during the season.
Dalian required a victory against Tianjin Tiger while relying on Chengdu to drop points. Playing in Jinan, Chengdu quickly went two goals down against Shandong Taishan following strikes from Raphael Merkies and Guilherme Madruga. Although Felipe Silva and Wellington Silva scored, Cryzan's second-half goal ensured a 3-2 defeat for Chengdu. Meanwhile, Li Guozu’s Dalian claimed a 3-1 win at Dalian Suoyuwan Football Stadium. Yang Mingrui opened the scoring, and after Xadas equalized with a penalty, Liao Jintao and stoppage-time scorer Huang Shan secured Dalian’s fifth straight win to seal the trophy.
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