It's Oh so Quiet: Guangzhou Derby Recap

By Matt Horn, July 28, 2016

Given the pain all English fans are still feeling at the Euro humiliation, choosing a song by Iceland’s most iconic pop star as a headline took some doing.

That said, Björk has it right for football in Guangzhou this month – it is so quiet that the city will only see two Chinese Super League games, as there are only two rounds of fixtures scheduled. This is an unusual act of kindness from football administrators, who appear to be taking pity on not only those who play but those who watch at the hottest and most humid time of the year.

The last game I sweated through was Fuli against Beijing Guoan, and there was much consternation among the home fans over the visitors from the north keeling over in the closing minutes. On the day I had the pleasure of meeting Fuli coach Dragan Stojković (see p14-15), I learned that after the game in mid-June, a number of Beijing players had to be placed on drips after the final whistle.

Stojković is among those who question the wisdom of making players perform in searing heat in the middle afternoon. As I recounted sitting in the stands, chasing shade and sweating buckets, he asked: “Can you imagine being on the pitch? I don’t understand why we played at 3.30pm. This is really ridiculous. You have to first take care about the health of players, make the best conditions possible. If you want to see good football, fast, interesting, good movement how can you do it at three o’clock in the afternoon? It’s impossible.”

That said, the mission impossible has been proving no problem for the new signing who is currently even hotter than the weather, Israeli striker Eran Zahavi. He joined Fuli the week I met Stojković, and he has provided the strike power fans have been crying out for. Goals in league and cup have come with ease, including a cup hat trick against Hebei, suggesting he will prove a bargain at a quoted USD12.5 million.

Best of all, Zahavi underlined his cult hero status with the winning goal against Guangzhou Evergrande in the derby match this month, having earlier superbly set up the equalizer in the 2-1 victory that continued his side’s great run of form.

In spite of Zahavi’s hot streak, clearly a summer afternoon is a crazy time to play in southern China, so it is a relief for all concerned that the two matches in Guangzhou this month are both evening affairs.

Fuli’s one home CSL game sees Stojković come up against one the most colorful managers in the game and a relative newcomer to China, Shandong Luneng’s German coach Felix Magath. The man who uses cheese to treat muscle injuries is going to be an interesting addition to the CSL landscape.

Meanwhile, at the top of the table it has been business as usual for Evergrande. Despite the team’s derby defeat, the gap at the top was 10 points at time of print, with another title looking like a formality. But losing the bragging rights in the city will have been a wake-up call, and Hengda will be determined to win their only home game of the month against struggling Hangzhou.