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 competition, and what were the key moments in their campaign? With the other three sides making it through to the knockout stage, we review a job well done and preview a tricky tie for SIPG along with an all-China affair between Evergrande and Shandong – is this good news for the fans, or a disappointingly local feel for the Champions League?
There’s plenty to look back on in the CSL before moving to the title picture – we’ve opinions on Evergrande breaking their own rules, Chris Coleman’s tenure in Hebei, Tianjin TEDA’s quiet achievers and some fun nominations for Phenomenon of the Week.
Attention shifts to the top-of-the-table clash between Shanghai International Port Group and Guoan – will this be a knockout blow for Guoan, or are the reigning champions still set to retain their crown? Predictions differ, but the panel agree this will be a must-watch game for the CSL fan or neutral, both in terms of drama and quality.
Host Steve Crooks is joined by Chinese football experts Cameron Wilson in Shanghai and Brandon Chemers in Beijing for this week’s episode.
If you enjoy listening to the pod and appreciate the considerable time and effort which goes into producing each episode, please consider supporting us financially via Patreon.
You can also subscribe on Patreon, and on itunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, or various other platforms. You can also download the pod to your device.
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 every week.
Watch this space for some upcoming live pod recordings in China in June!
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
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’s pod opens with a review of Beijing Guoan’s ninth straight win, and more goals for Cedric Bakambu – begging the question of why some fans are still dissatisfied …
There’s only one place to start this week, with a high-quality top-of-the-table clash at Tianhe seeing Beijing Guo’an walk away with their eighth consecutive win. It’s still early in the …
The pod is back to regular business this week, and there’s only one place to start – with Beijing Guoan setting a new CSL record by opening with seven straight …
We take a break from weekly matters and dive into the first of a new series of in-depth chats to shine a more personal light on some of our contributors’ …
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 …
It’s been raining high-quality goals in the CSL – and whether your preference is cheeky backheels, long-range screamers or hilarious last-minute goalkeeper snafus, there’s something here for you – the …
There’s plenty of off-the-pitch goings-on for the pod to debate this week – whether it’s enjoying Wuhan’s Rafael da Silva’s school-style apology letter or arguing the merits of checking how …
Once again the pod find themselves forced to answer the questions of whether the China national team has hit a new low, just how this big-spending football-power-in-waiting manages to underachieve …
You must be logged in to post a comment Login
You must log in to post a comment.