Chengdu Rongcheng suffered a fourth consecutive defeat on the final day of the season, blowing a 12-point lead to miss out on the Chinese Super League title. John Aloisi’s team fell 3-2 to Shandong Taishan, allowing Dalian Yingbo to claim the championship trophy with a 3-1 victory over Tianjin Tiger.
A Historic Collapse
The dramatic finale saw Chengdu secure just a single point from their final five fixtures, whereas Dalian collected a maximum of 15 points from their last five matches. Both clubs concluded the campaign level on 52 points, but Dalian clinched the title due to a superior head-to-head record, which included a win against Chengdu in the penultimate match of the season.
This dramatic late-season failure ranks among the most significant title collapses in football history, echoing famous past meltdowns such as Newcastle United’s loss of a 12-point advantage to Manchester United in 1995-96, and Manchester United relinquishing a similar lead to Arsenal in 1997-98.
Final Day Drama
Even with their poor run of form, the championship remained firmly within Chengdu’s control entering the final matchday. A draw would have secured the trophy, but they fell two goals behind inside the first 25 minutes following strikes from Raphael Merkies and Guilherme Madruga.
Felipe Silva managed to pull a goal back for Chengdu, but Cryzan quickly reestablished a two-goal cushion for Shandong. Former Arsenal forward Wellington Silva gave Aloisi’s side renewed hope by scoring with 11 minutes remaining, though the team failed to find the equalising goal they needed.
That result meant Dalian required a victory at home to complete their historic championship charge. Yang Mingrui opened the scoring within five minutes, and although Xadas equalised from the penalty spot in the 50th minute, Liao Jintao put Dalian back in front with 20 minutes left on the clock. Huang Shan then sealed the victory and the title with a close-range goal during stoppage time.
