Taishan and Guoan join the "chaos for the runner-up"

Reporter Lu Mi reports In the 23rd round of the CSL, after Chengdu Rongcheng overturned Zhejiang to end their long winless run, the championship is almost settled. But the fight for second place and AFC Champions League spots is heating up. Tongliang Long sat securely in second for most of the season, then Yukun, West Coast, and Yingbo also joined the fray. Now, Taishan and Guoan, two traditional powerhouses, have overcome their point deductions, entered a fierce point-collecting mode, and announced their participation in the runner-up battle. After 23 rounds, the gap between second and seventh place in the CSL is only four points—a single match can cause major changes. A six-team melee for the runner-up spot has created maximum suspense.

In the first half of the season, several teams unaffected by point deductions were at the top of the standings. West Coast, with a balanced mix of domestic and foreign players, became one of the teams with the fewest losses. They excel at counter-attacking and are unfazed even against traditional strong sides.

Yingbo strengthened their squad this season by bringing in Stanciu and Achimpon, who are familiar with the CSL, giving them a powerful attacking edge. Their foreign players have performed consistently, and they secured several tough wins in the middle of the season, consecutively beating traditional strong teams and once rising to the top three in the standings.

The newly promoted team Tongliang Long was once seen as the biggest dark horse. Although young, they relied on a resilient defensive counter-attacking style, finishing the first half of the season in second place, showing their potential to the outside world. The young coach Liu Jianye's ability to integrate the team and his pragmatic tactical approach left a deep impression. In the first half, regardless of the opponent, Tongliang Long performed well through stable defense and targeted tactical arrangements, staying firmly in second place in the CSL.

Yukun changed coaches in the new season. Head coach Jordi's open and attacking style caused the team to go through a slump to some extent, but fortunately, they had accumulated enough points earlier, and the team regained momentum under his adjustments.

Overall, in the first half of the CSL season, teams not affected by point deductions had an inherent advantage. Moreover, their player configurations and tactical approaches were relatively reasonable given their season objectives.

In contrast, Taishan and Guoan, hampered by point deductions, were not high in the standings. To break into the top spots, they needed to put in more effort than other teams. Many outside observers thought that their season was over, and that the FA Cup might be their true battlefield, with the runner-up race taking place among the dark horses.

But as the league progressed, after going through squad integration, injury recovery, and internal adjustments, Taishan emerged from their slump. Under Tang Tian's guidance, they embarked on a three-match winning streak, defeating Shanghai Port, Tianjin Jinmen Tiger, and Qingdao Hainiu. Their ranking has risen to third, only one point behind second-placed Yukun.

Guoan also experienced a major form explosion, going unbeaten in ten matches across two fronts. After a 4-2 victory over Tianjin Jinmen Tiger, they achieved three consecutive CSL wins. Their offense fully unleashed its firepower, with multiple scoring sources. With one game in hand, they are only two points behind second-placed Yukun, having completely shaken off the early-season fluctuations.

The strong resurgence of the two traditional giants, Taishan and Guoan, has completely disrupted the competition for the runner-up spot. The race, once dominated by dark horses, has turned into a head-on clash between new and old forces. In contrast, after entering the high-intensity schedule in July and August, Tongliang Long, West Coast, and Yingbo have seen their form dip slightly. West Coast has had many draws, showing some fatigue in attack; Tongliang Long has fallen into a prolonged winless slump; Yingbo remains strong at home but has not solved its away-game problems. In the latest round, they traveled to Yuxi and, playing with one man fewer, were overturned by host Yukun, causing their ranking to drop.

Now, the league title is almost a foregone conclusion, but the battle for second place is a chaotic mess. Six teams—Yukun, Taishan, West Coast, Guoan, Yingbo, and Tongliang Long—are packed into a narrow points range, with none holding a sufficient advantage. For them, every match and every point in the remaining games could bring a change in the standings. It is worth noting that there are several direct clashes between the contenders later on. The outcomes of these "six-point battles" will greatly influence the final result.