Lopes an instant Shanghai hero

Brazilian already a huge hit with SIPG fans thanks to Super League goal rush 

Unlike his high-profile Brazilian compatriots Oscar and Hulk, the arrival of little-known Ricardo Lopes at Shanghai SIPG in February barely raised an eyebrow among fans.

However, just over two weeks into the delayed Chinese season, the 29-year-old is the talk of the Super League, with his four goals in the opening three rounds getting SIPG off to a flying start in its bid to wrest the title back from Guangzhou Evergrande.

Now Lopes, who spent the last five years playing in South Korea, hopes to fire SIPG to its second title in three years.

"I don't usually talk about my goals, but what I want is that when people talk about which team won the 2020 CSL title in the future, I want people to talk about my name," said Lopes, who was signed from seven-time K League champion Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors.

"I don't want to speak too much about how many goals I've scored, because I believe the team as a unit is more important.

"I'm focusing on winning first place and getting the title. This is what I'm thinking and this is what the club is thinking."

With the CSL season originally set to begin in late February before the COVID-19 pandemic forced its postponement, Lopes has had to wait a long time for his SIPG debut.

However, far from resting on his laurels during the lengthy offseason, Lopes has used the extended break to get himself in top shape. That hard work yielded instant results when Lopes netted SIPG's first goal of the season in its 3-1 opening victory over Tianjin Teda last month.

"Despite there being no matches at the time due to the pandemic, I kept training and I didn't stop," said Lopes. "Even during the time when I was in Brazil with my family, I continued to train to stay in good shape. So when I returned to the club, I was in good condition."

Lopes says that he has gelled with the squad quickly and gets along well with his new teammates.

With quotas limiting the number of foreign players teams can use, his arrival has increased competition for starting places among SIPG's imported contingent, including Brazilians Oscar and Hulk, who have been pivotal to SIPG's success in recent years. Lopes, though, shies away from giving away too much about the dynamic between him and his fellow countrymen.

"I think many teams have a similar situation, with many outstanding and young players in the squad. Our squad has many top players like Oscar and Hulk," said Lopes. "I think my arrival for them just means they have another teammate. What I want to do is to help the team and win the league title.

"From my perspective, I would like all the foreign players to have playing time on the pitch. But it's a decision for the coaches to make based on the league rules.

"So the head coach (Vitor Pereira) needs to observe a player's condition during training and matches. Every player is the same. We just want to help the team."

Lopes' eye-catching performances have installed him as an instant folk hero with SIPG fans, who have nicknamed him the "Brazilian Wu Lei", in reference to the club's former Team China superstar whose goals helped SIPG to the 2018 CSL title.

Local media have also warmed to Lopes, with Oriental Sports Daily describing him as a "humble star".

The Shanghai Observer went so far as to suggest that Lopes was an "upgraded version" of Wu, who now plays for Espanyol in Spain. "Lopes plays in a very smart way with quick reactions to find and seize the opportunity," read a Shanghai Observer commentary. "He also plays in a selfless way to distribute the ball sensibly."

The Brazilian is also earning rave reviews from teammates, with defender Wang Shenchao saying: "Lopes' arrival offers the coaches more options. We knew about Lopes when we played against Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors before. He is very useful for our attacking line."

Lopes is understandably happy with the plaudits－and his new nickname.

"I know Wu because we played against each other back in 2016, and at that time I realized he's a great player," he said. "Now he has proved his worth in La Liga. He's a player with great speed, which is just like me.

"I'm happy that fans compared me with him. Wu is a successful player who has brought Shanghai many honors and contributed a lot to the team. I hope I can contribute more to help the team to reach another level."