Dalian Claims Chinese Super League Title After Chengdu's Late-Season Collapse

Chengdu Rongcheng surrendered the Chinese Super League title on the final day of the season, letting slip a 12-point advantage after losing their final four matches. John Aloisi's side managed to collect just one point from their last five fixtures, opening the door for a dramatic comeback by rivals Dalian Yingbo.

On the final day of the campaign, Chengdu suffered a 3-2 defeat against Shandong Taishan in Jinan. Raphael Merkies and Guilherme Madruga put Shandong ahead within the opening 23 minutes. Felipe Silva pulled a goal back for Chengdu before halftime, and although Cryzan restored a two-goal advantage for Shandong in the 63rd minute, former Arsenal forward Wellington Silva scored in the 79th minute to create a tense finish. Wang Ziming had a late shot deflected over the bar in stoppage time as Chengdu ran out of time.

Simultaneously, Dalian Yingbo secured the championship in front of their home supporters at the Dalian Suoyuwan Football Stadium with a 3-1 victory against Tianjin Tiger. Yang Mingrui opened the scoring in the fifth minute before Xadas converted a penalty in the 50th minute to level the score for Tianjin. Liao Jintao restored Dalian's lead with 20 minutes remaining, and Huang Shan secured the victory with a close-range strike in the fourth minute of stoppage time.

The results left both teams level on 52 points at the top of the table. Dalian claimed the Li Guozu trophy and the league title based on a superior head-to-head record, having defeated Chengdu in the penultimate game of the season.

The conclusion mirrors famous historical title collapses in football, such as Kevin Keegan's Newcastle United surrendering a 12-point lead to Manchester United in the 1995-96 Premier League season. Chengdu began their campaign alongside a competition where several rival clubs faced point deductions that placed them in negative points.