Football news

Recently took in some Asian Champions League action and went to watch Shanghai Shenhua take on the might of Sydney FC - the first time an Aussie team has played in the ACL.


The game started off pretty good, with two great goals from Sydney in an exciting first 20 minutes, but the action calmed down dramatically until the half time whistle, with play becoming a little patchy now and again. The second half went the same way with some scrappy periods, but picked up considerably in the last 15, when the crowd finally got behind their team. Shanghai repeatedly put the visitors under pressure and were rewarded with a goal seven minutes from time. Try as they might though, a late equaliser was never going to come. For more info on the game (for anyone who cares) you can read Cam Wilson's report here.


I've seen Sydney FC play once before (taking the New Zealand Knights apart in Auckland during the inaugural Hyundai A-Leauge), but this is the first time I've been to see Shanghai Shenhua in action. Not too shabby, but I hear all is not well in the world of Shanghai football politics of late; it would appear that Shenhua were recently bought out by the owner of local rivals Shanghai United and the two teams were combined as one. That would explain the jeering and cat calls from the Shenhua faithful directed at their own players..... more on that again from Cam here.