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Chinese Super League 2016
SportChina
Jonathan White

Opinion | As electric Elkeson becomes the top scoring foreigner in CSL history, could losing him be the downfall of ‘Big Phil’ Scolari?

Guangzhou Evergrande moved the freescoring Brazilian on to Shanghai SIPG in the close season to make room for Jackson Martinez, but the Colombian has failed to fire so far while Elkeson has thrived

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No Caption Available. Photo: Xinhua
Feed the Elk and he will score. That’s what the chant at Shanghai Stadium should be for Elkeson, Shanghai SIPG’s star striker. The man Sven-Goran Eriksson poached from champions Guangzhou Evergrande in the transfer window scored twice in a comfortable 3-0 win over new boys Yanbian Funde on Friday night.
Elkeson’s move to Shanghai raised eyebrows at the time and in the light of the season so far it makes even less sense
That brace made Elkeson the top foreign scorer in the Chinese Super League’s short history with 64 goals in three full seasons and the start of this campaign.

He overtook Ramirez – not Ramires – a journeyman Honduran forward who plied his trade in China in the latter half of the naughts.

Ramirez signed for Shanghai Shenhua in 2006 before dropping down a division to play for Guanghzou Pharmaceutical – now known as Guanghzou Evergrande – and firing them into the top flight. He spent another two seasons in Guangzhou before a move to Hangzhou Greentown, where he spent another couple of years.

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Elkeson’s brace last weekend made him the record goalscoring foreigner to play in China. Photo: Sina
Elkeson’s brace last weekend made him the record goalscoring foreigner to play in China. Photo: Sina
During his time in China he scored 63 times in the CSL and another 19 goals in the Chinese Jia League (now known as League One) to be the only player to be golden boot in both divisions.

Elkeson might be the best foreigner but he still has some way to go to top the list for most CSL goals. He’s fourth on the all-time rankings and has third place in his sights: he’s just a single goal behind his former teammate Gao Lin.

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Gao may be the closest for Elkeson to overtake but he is also the only one of the top three still playing – and still scoring – in the CSL. Both players have five goals in the league this season.

WATCH: Elkeson’s record-breaking double for Shanghai SIPG

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