By Michael Church
HONG KONG (Reuters) – Shanghai Port claimed the Chinese Super League title at the end of a foul-tempered clash with nearest rivals Shandong Taishan on Sunday, picking up the point they needed with a 1-1 draw at Pudong Arena in a game that featured five red cards.
Lu Wenjun had given Shanghai a 16th minute lead only for bedlam to break out late in a first half that had been growing increasingly fraught, with referee Mametjan Ahmet handing out a flurry of red cards.
Lu was the first to be given his marching orders following a clash with Chen Pu on the edge of the six-yard box, earning him a second yellow card in the 41st minute.
Tempers flared and Shandong’s Moises was sent off as a scuffle broke out all over the Shanghai penalty area, while Port were soon reduced to nine men after Ahmet consulted the pitchside monitor.
The referee returned to the field to send off Cai Huikang for having earlier grabbed Moises by the throat, a decision that incensed Shanghai coach Javier Pereira and earned the Portuguese coach a red card of his own.
Shandong, who trailed by five points going into Sunday’s match, needed to win to take the title race into the final round and went close to equalising just after the hour mark when second half substitute Fei Nanduo hit the post.
The former Guangzhou FC winger was the next player to see red when he was dismissed for reacting angrily to a tackle by Li Shuai 15 minutes from time.
Shandong did manage to pull level with a minute remaining, Xie Wenneng scoring from close range after Cryzan’s initial shot from the edge of the area had been parried by Yan Junling.
But Choi Kang-hee’s side were unable to find a winner, leaving Shanghai to claim the title for the first time since 2018.
(Reporting by Michael Church, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
