Owner rewards players for defeating champions
Shanghai Shenhua finally got their 2007 season going with a deserved 1-0 victory over champions Shandong Luneng in the second round of the Chinese Super League at the weekend.
Great expectations were raised when Shanghai's top two clubs merged just before the start of the season but the combined team lost their first CSL match to Beijing Guoan before going down 2-1 to Sydney in their opening Asian Champions League encounter.
A fierce strike from midfielder Yu Tao seven minutes into the second half, however, gave Shenhua victory over Shandong on Sunday and earned the team a share of a two million yuan ($258,300) bonus from multimillionaire owner Zhu Jun.
"When I dined out ... the other day, nobody wanted to speak to me," Uruguayan coach Osvaldo Gimenez told Shanghai Daily.
"I respect all the emotions. It is understandable. The only way to turn around the perception is to bring victories and we made a very good start today."
Eight-times champions Dalian Shide beat Changchun Yatai 1-0 with a 16th-minute goal from Zou Jie on Saturday to go top of the table as the only team with a 100 percent record after two matches.
Beijing remained unbeaten but were disappointed with a 0-0 draw at home to promoted Henan Jianye, who had Wang Shou sent off early in the second half for a foul on Honduran international striker Walter Martinez.
"I won't look for any excuses, I'll take all the responsibility," their Korean coach Lee Jang-soo said. "The players tried their best."
Agencies
(China Daily 03/13/2007 page22)
