Focus on naturalized players as teams gear up for CSL season

0 Comment(s)Print E-mail Xinhua, July 17, 2020
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Ai Kesen, or Elkeson, is among many naturalized players in defending CSL champion Guangzhou Evergrande's squad.

Who will win the 2020 Chinese Super League which kicks off next weekend? Actually, it's pretty hard to say.

Although Guangzhou Evergrande, which has powerful non-Chinese players and naturalized stars in its squad, is the favorite, the defending champion will have to overcome the negative influences due to both the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers and the 2020 AFC Champions League.

Guangzhou had seven naturalized players until recently; namely Ai Kesen (Elkeson), Fei Nanduo (Fernando Henrique), Alan (Alan Carvalho), Gao Late (Ricardo Goulart), Luo Guofu (Aloisio Goncalves), Xiao Taotao (Roberto Siucho) and Jiang Guangtai (Tyias Browning), but let Alan join Beijing Guoan on loan on July 10.

Also boasting the dynamic Brazilian duo of Anderson Talisca and Paulinho, the Asian powerhouse is most likely to repeat as winner in the upcoming new CSL season.

Former Brazil forward Ai Kesen rejoined the club last season but this year he will play as a Chinese footballer. He is expected to contribute more goals and assists after getting rid of the CSL quota on non-Chinese players.

Beijing Guoan also has several naturalized players, such as Li Ke (Nicholas Yennaris), Hou Yongyong (John Hou Saeter) and Alan, who boosts the Guoan squad because he can play both as a forward and a winger.

As one of the most aggressive teams in the league, Guoan boasts of two non-Chinese midfielders, Renato Augusto and Jonathan Viera Ramos, plus two local rising star strikers Wang Ziming and Zhang Yuning. They could produce effective chemistry with Alan in the new season.

Alan started 25 times for Tianjin Tianhai, which has since been dissolved, last season, scoring nine goals with two assists. "We have a lot of good players on our roster and I feel lucky to play with them," the 31-year-old said.

"During the season we will face many tough competitions. Guangzhou Evergrande, Shanghai SIPG are very strong, I came here hoping to win the championship with our team and to realize my dream," Alan added.

No one doubts that Shanghai SIPG is also a title contender, although it doesn't have any naturalized players. The 2018 CSL winner features five outstanding non-Chinese players in Hulk, Oscar, Odil Akhmedov, Ricardo Lopes and Marko Arnautovic. This core group of overseas stars will make up for the lack of naturalized players in the squad.

Considering the CSL will take a break in order to help Team China compete in the Qatar World Cup Asian preliminaries in October and November, the naturalized footballers may become uncertain factors not only for the CSL title favorites but also for Team China's fortunes.

Moreover, Evergrande, Guoan and SIPG will also line up for the AFC Champions League in October. How to reconcile their own interests with that of the national team will be a tough question for the CSL sides.

The 2020 CSL season will run its first session from July 25 to September 28.

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