Shenhua held; ailing Anelka sits out
By Ni Yinbin |
March 11, 2012, Sunday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
AUSTRALIAN striker Joel Griffiths scored the first goal of the season helping Shanghai Shenhua salvage a 1-1 draw with Jiangsu Sainty in its opening Chinese Super League game last night.
The local fans, however, were disappointed as Shenhua's French striker Nicolas Anelka, the biggest name in the CSL, did not even make the bench due to a knee injury.
The 33-year-old showed up at the Hongkou Stadium last night, sitting in the stands. Coach Jean Tigana said that Anelka had not been practicing for the past week due to the injury.
But Anelka's injury is not so serious and the former Chelsea striker is expected to be on the team to face Beijing Guo'an this weekend, according Yu Tao, the Shenhua captain.
Tigana began with a 4-5-1 formation in his debut CSL game leaving Griffiths as a sole man upfront. But the hosts had a terrible start, conceding a goal as early as the 11th minute.
Sainty's Serbian striker Aleksandar Jevtic scored the first goal for his team this season when he broke the offside trap and headed a long-range floater beyond goalie Wang Dalei's lunging dive.
Shenhua lost control in the midfield as no one was good enough to hold the ball. Sainty's tough tackles on the pitch also caused the home team some trouble, with Jiangsu in firm control of proceedings in the first half.
The situation changed after the break as Tigana sent in Jiang Kun in place of Zheng Kaimu.
Griffiths grabbed the equalizer, scoring with an easy header off a corner kick in the 55th minute.
Shenhua's other French striker Mathieu Manset came in the 61st minute for Feng Renliang but the winning goal remained elusive.
"Our foreign players this year are all very good and competitive," captain Yu said after the match. "They haven't gelled with the local players yet, but it should happen soon."
China's basketball star Yao Ming and Li Yuyi, director of the Shanghai Sports Bureau, were in the stands last night.
In other matches, last year's runner-up Beijing Guo'an lost 1-3 to Guangzhou Fuli away, Liaoning Hongyun beat Henan Jianye 3-1 at home, Dalian Shide lost 1-2 to Changchun Yatai at home, and Guizhou Renhe won 2-1 in a comeback game against Shandong Luneng.
Three other matches in the first round are scheduled for today.
The local fans, however, were disappointed as Shenhua's French striker Nicolas Anelka, the biggest name in the CSL, did not even make the bench due to a knee injury.
The 33-year-old showed up at the Hongkou Stadium last night, sitting in the stands. Coach Jean Tigana said that Anelka had not been practicing for the past week due to the injury.
But Anelka's injury is not so serious and the former Chelsea striker is expected to be on the team to face Beijing Guo'an this weekend, according Yu Tao, the Shenhua captain.
Tigana began with a 4-5-1 formation in his debut CSL game leaving Griffiths as a sole man upfront. But the hosts had a terrible start, conceding a goal as early as the 11th minute.
Sainty's Serbian striker Aleksandar Jevtic scored the first goal for his team this season when he broke the offside trap and headed a long-range floater beyond goalie Wang Dalei's lunging dive.
Shenhua lost control in the midfield as no one was good enough to hold the ball. Sainty's tough tackles on the pitch also caused the home team some trouble, with Jiangsu in firm control of proceedings in the first half.
The situation changed after the break as Tigana sent in Jiang Kun in place of Zheng Kaimu.
Griffiths grabbed the equalizer, scoring with an easy header off a corner kick in the 55th minute.
Shenhua's other French striker Mathieu Manset came in the 61st minute for Feng Renliang but the winning goal remained elusive.
"Our foreign players this year are all very good and competitive," captain Yu said after the match. "They haven't gelled with the local players yet, but it should happen soon."
China's basketball star Yao Ming and Li Yuyi, director of the Shanghai Sports Bureau, were in the stands last night.
In other matches, last year's runner-up Beijing Guo'an lost 1-3 to Guangzhou Fuli away, Liaoning Hongyun beat Henan Jianye 3-1 at home, Dalian Shide lost 1-2 to Changchun Yatai at home, and Guizhou Renhe won 2-1 in a comeback game against Shandong Luneng.
Three other matches in the first round are scheduled for today.
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