The domestic season is finally at an end, with the high drama of a two-legged cup final a fitting crown to the season – we discuss how much the trophy means to Beijing Guo’an and their fans, and speculate on the curious trend of yet another away team walking away as cup winners. There’s a lot of love for the importance of the cup in domestic football, and some discussion about potential rule-changes to make things even better.
We change pace to finish wading through the mid-table CSL marshes: have Hebei and Jiangsu stalled just short of the ACL glass ceiling, are there shoots of recovery from Shenhua, and just how will WEF’s Donald Ross rebut Brandon’s previous criticism of his side?
A bonus-length podcast then wraps up with a review of the sides at the top in the title race – where did it go right for the champions this year, and are we seeing a real power shift and start of a new dynasty – or is it too early to write off deposed champions Guangzhou Evergrande just yet? We tackle the complex question of Evergrande’s legacy – how have they changed Chinese football over the years, and has their influence been for the better or worse? All this – and the chance to vote for phenomenon of the year – in this week’s Chinese Football Podcast.
The Chinese Football Podcast is hosted by Wild East Football’s Steve Crooks, joined by Chinese football experts Brandon Chemers in Beijing and Cameron Wilson in Shanghai. WEF’s Guangzhou R&F correspondent Donald Ross is on the line this week also.
Stream the cast using the player above, or download to your device.
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The Chinese Football Podcast is pleased to be sponsored by Football Shirt Memory – the number one CSL shirt retailer in the West. Check out their wares here.
We are also very pleased to be hosted and broadcast on Football Nation Radio.
Don’t miss the chance to get involved in the discussion on Twitter at #chinafootypod – we love hearing feedback and do our best to field your questions and suggested topics each and every week.
Steve hosts the Chinese Football Podcast, having joined the WEF team as correspondent for Shanghai Shenhua, the side he has followed since moving to Shanghai in 2010. Exiled from the Victorian town-centre idyll of Feethams along with his childhood football team, Steve spent many an (un)happy year on Hongkou's North Terrace along with the Shenhua Element Crew and Blue Devils before relocating to Sydney from where he continues to follow the Chinese game from afar.
Join in the discussion on #chinafootypod
Previous Podcasts
This week the pod reviews a couple of high-drama CFA cup semi finals, and looks forwards to the prospect of a high-stakes Shenhua – Shandong final. How impressed are we …
The pod is back from a brief mid-season break and jumps straight into business by asking whether Guangzhou Evergrande have the title sewn up already after some prolonged patchy form …
Beijing Guoan’s surprise loss to a struggling Jiangsu is the lead story this week – with Evergrande back at the top and just a couple of points covering the top …
With fan protests escalating in Nanjing, the pod takes a deep-dive into the story to understand more. What are the key issues and why has the club’s response left fans …
The transfer season is in full swing – the pod gets stuck into how Marko Arnautovic will fit into the red quarter of Shanghai, and what to make of El …
We’re back with a discussion on the soul of Chinese football – are naturalized Brazilians the answer to World Cup qualification woes, or yet another example of the governing bodies …
We’re back with a discussion on the soul of Chinese football – are naturalized Brazilians the answer to World Cup qualification woes, or yet another example of the governing bodies …
In our latest “fan journey” special, we take the term literally – host Steve Crooks and regular pod expert Cameron Wilson are joined by a packed sleeper train compartment of …
We continue our series of in-depth explorations of the personal journeys taken by WEF’s leading contributors – this week host Steve Crooks speaks one-to-one with Brandon Chemers to learn more …
This week we wait until the dust settles on the AFC Champions League group stage before reflecting on the last-day drama – how disappointed will Guoan be to exit the …
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