No joy of 500 as star-less Shenhua slumps at home
By Ni Yinbin |
October 21, 2012, Sunday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
WITH three of its stars, Nicolas Anelka, Didier Drogba and Giovanni Moreno, missing, Shanghai Shenhua lost 1-3 at home to Changchun Yatai in the Chinese Super League last night.
Coach Sergio Batista said the trio had some physical problems and therefore could not play in the club's 500th game.
"The players didn't play because of their injuries. Nico has some thigh injury, Moreno had some bruises in the foot while Didier just came back from an international game and needs some time to recover," the Argentine explained after the game. "But I spoke with them. They are good with the club. It's just about their physical condition."
The club refused to comment on Drogba's contract last night.
Rumors of Drogba leaving for the Italian Serie A in January have smothered the club recently and the absence of the big names also caused fans to stay away in droves from the Hongkou Football Stadium. The 30,000-capacity stadium only had less than one-third occupation last night.
A weakened Shenhua failed to create enough opportunities although the players on the pitch put in their best.
All the goals were scored in the first half. Yatai had a dream opening with two goals in the first 10 minutes by Liu Weidong and Liu Xiaodong. Shenhua's Joel Griffiths cut the deficit in the 44th minute after receiving a pass from Cao Yunding. However, a penalty three minutes later crushed Shenhua's dreams of a comeback after Yatai forward Marcos Antonio tumbled in the area after contact from Wu Xi.
"We were a much better team in the first half but the second half we weren't good, Shenhua played much better, but we won the away game 3-1, so every one is satisfied" commented Yatai's Serbian coach Svetozar Sapuric.
The loss, made worse because it was the 500th game in the club's history, meant Shenhua remained ninth in the table on 34 points while Yatai, with 41 points, rose to sixth. Marcello Lippi's Guangzhou Evergrande leads on 55 points, three ahead of Jiangsu Sainty.
Coach Sergio Batista said the trio had some physical problems and therefore could not play in the club's 500th game.
"The players didn't play because of their injuries. Nico has some thigh injury, Moreno had some bruises in the foot while Didier just came back from an international game and needs some time to recover," the Argentine explained after the game. "But I spoke with them. They are good with the club. It's just about their physical condition."
The club refused to comment on Drogba's contract last night.
Rumors of Drogba leaving for the Italian Serie A in January have smothered the club recently and the absence of the big names also caused fans to stay away in droves from the Hongkou Football Stadium. The 30,000-capacity stadium only had less than one-third occupation last night.
A weakened Shenhua failed to create enough opportunities although the players on the pitch put in their best.
All the goals were scored in the first half. Yatai had a dream opening with two goals in the first 10 minutes by Liu Weidong and Liu Xiaodong. Shenhua's Joel Griffiths cut the deficit in the 44th minute after receiving a pass from Cao Yunding. However, a penalty three minutes later crushed Shenhua's dreams of a comeback after Yatai forward Marcos Antonio tumbled in the area after contact from Wu Xi.
"We were a much better team in the first half but the second half we weren't good, Shenhua played much better, but we won the away game 3-1, so every one is satisfied" commented Yatai's Serbian coach Svetozar Sapuric.
The loss, made worse because it was the 500th game in the club's history, meant Shenhua remained ninth in the table on 34 points while Yatai, with 41 points, rose to sixth. Marcello Lippi's Guangzhou Evergrande leads on 55 points, three ahead of Jiangsu Sainty.
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