Extra-Special Fans-Eye Shanghai Derby Cup Final Preview: The Chinese Football Podcast

With the football world in China and beyond looking forward to a historic CFA Cup Final Shanghai Derby kicking off with the first leg at Hongkou Stadium this Sunday evening, The Chinese Football Podcast crew are pulling out all the stops to bring our listeners a unique, intensely Shanghainese insight into the hopes, fears and expectations among the fans on the ground – and the place this derby has in local fan culture. We pull together five Shanghai-based lovers of the game for a live recording of the pod to talk star players, tactics, and how they see the games unfolding.

Wild East Football’s Steve Crooks is the host, joined by a local and international perspective from each side of the derby – Cameron Wilson and Bobby Lu in the Shenhua corner, and Ma Minglun joining WEF’s Jeff Beresford-Howe in the Shanghai International Port Group corner.

The fans take in a wide-ranging discussion on what their clubs mean to them and their native or adoptive city, the star players they hope or fear a big performance from, whether this is more of a consolation trophy for the red side of town, and just how spectacularly badly Shenhua’s preparations have gone with a 7-1 (yes, seven) defeat in a friendly in Jeju. The discussion turns to the closely intertwined fate and narrative of two very different football clubs and Shanghai rivalries past and present, with the boys finding some surprising common ground in a very honest and open chat. Of course we couldn’t let the panel go without asking them each for their predictions and their thoughts on who really “reps” Shanghai in modern football following that famous Shenhua fan banner.

Stream the cast using the player above, subscribe on itunes, listen on Stitcher, download or check out other subscription options.

Don’t miss the chance to get involved in the discussion on Twitter at #chinafootypod – we do your best to field and answer your questions every week.