The East Stand

Chinese Super League: Guangzhou Evergrande and Shanghai SIPG need late goals, VAR to stay in title hunt

Champions Shanghai SIPG win in 101st minute after surviving two disallowed goals, while Tianjin Tianhai play keeper as striker to meet under-23 policy

Beijing Guoan keep 100 per cent record but late drama and VAR sees their rivals claim vital points in title race

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Tianjin Tianhai goalkeeper Ma Zhen is brought on as an outfield player against Guangzhou R&F. Photo: Sina Sports

Formerly of the South China Morning Post, Jonathan White has written about sport from China for nearly 15 years, and covered the Beijing 2008 Olympics, the Fifa World Cup in Brazil in 2014 and the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

Published: 12:02pm, 13 May 2019Updated: 12:36pm, 11 Dec 2019

While the drama on the English Premier League’s final day was limited to the 83 seconds between Brighton taking the lead and Manchester City equalising, there was much more on offer in the Chinese Super League.

It had something of a final day greatest hits with the winning runs of this season and the spectacle of a goalkeeper playing outfield of years gone by.

But before the drama and controversy, Beijing Guoan extended their winning ways to the first nine games of the season with a 3-0 victory over Shenzhen.

When the final whistle blew at the Workers’ Stadium things looked even better to those on the terraces. Not only had Cedric Bakambu scored to end his barren run (and with it perhaps the criticism of recent weeks) but Guangzhou Evergrande were losing and champions Shanghai SIPG were being held.

With supporters looking at updates from the other grounds, there was drama befitting a final day rather than nine games into a season.