Tianjin Teda clung to the top of the Chinese Super League standings after a dramatic 2-2 draw away to International Shanghai yesterday. Three of the four goals came at the death, and former Chinese international midfielder Yu Genwei was the hero for the 10-man visitors as he bagged a pair of eyebrow-raising strikes in the space of a few minutes.
Elsewhere, defending champions Shenzhen Jianlibao - despite their midweek 5-0 whitewash of Vietnam side Hoang Anh GL in the AFC Champions League - continued to suffer a drought on the domestic scene at Chongqing Qiche, settling for their second successive goalless draw.
Sichuan Guancheng, however, put last week's 3-0 mauling by Dalian Shide behind them by crushing visiting Shenyang Ginde 4-2.
The Tianjin-Shanghai game didn't see its first goal until six minutes into the second half when International's full-back Wu Chengyin rifled in a low 30-yard drive. Tianjin were dealt a further blow a quarter of an hour from the whistle by the dismissal of defender Wang Xiao for a last-man foul on Ghana striker Kwame Ayew.
The visitors' backs were to the wall but Yu, whose winner against Oman in the 2002 World Cup qualifying secured China's first appearance in the tournament, proved he can still make a big impact at the age of 31.
The midfielder put a perfect finishing touch to a lightning counter-attack in the 89th minute by slotting home an angled shot past keeper Zhang Chen.
