Fireworks lit up the sky over Dalian Shide's Jinzhou Stadium yesterday as the home side claimed their first Chinese Super League (CSL) title with a 2-0 victory over Wuhan Huanghelou.
The northeastern side notched seven domestic top-flight titles in the first decade after Chinese soccer turned professional in 1994, but faded into the background over the past two seasons. Shanghai Shenhua laid claim to the old Division A League crown in 2003 while Shenzhen Jianlibao were top dogs last year, in the inaugural season of the newly-established CSL.
Shanghai, the only other team on the domestic scene to have imposed their rule more than once (1995, 2003), also prevailed in their own league match yesterday, edging hosts Shenyang Ginde 2-1 in another 24th-round tie. But their hopes of coming from behind with a late rally were dashed as they trail Dalian - who have 59 points - by eight points, with just two rounds left in the season.
'This has been a very difficult season for us and to have won the league under such circumstances makes it all the more thrilling,' said Dalian coach Vladimir Petrovic Pizon, who broke down in tears at the end of the match.
Many believe he was referring to the busy schedule forced on his young charges. Dalian provided nine players to the national side for the World Youth Championship in the Netherlands in June and contributed nearly half of the squad for Liaoning province's under-20 National Games campaign. The hectic schedule caused a headache for Pizon - a former Serbia & Montenegro under-23 coach - who relies heavily on the emerging talent at the club.
It was one of those energetic youngsters who sealed victory for Dalian yesterday. Zhao Xuri, a 20-year-old defensive midfielder who has been capped for the senior national team, rifled in a 30-metre strike on 70 minutes for an unassailable 2-0 lead. Ten minutes earlier, Bulgarian striker Zoran Jankovic had opened the scoring for Dalian from the penalty spot.
