After the goals last week, referees take centre-stage here – with the CSL seeing a record number of red cards and penalties but relatively little controversy, should we look back with satisfaction at VAR implementation and improved refereeing?
One of the more controversial cards was Paulinho’s early bath for a high foot in Evergrande’s surprising defeat to Renhe – the panel debate the decision and then get stuck into how badly the former champions’ self-imposed selection limits are hurting both them and the league.
We take in some listener questions on an out-of-sorts reigning champion and a resurgent Chongqing, tip our hats to Tianjin fan culture, and settle in for a group-by-group review of the AFC Champions League – with three games played all of the Chinese sides are decently placed in their groups. Who do the pundits think will make it, and will our pre-season ACL pessimism be proved unfounded?
Host Steve Crooks is joined by Chinese football experts Cameron Wilson in Shanghai and Brandon Chemers in Beijing for this week’s episode.
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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.
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Previous Podcasts
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