Three Initial Impressions of the 2026 Chinese Super League: Transition Enhancement, Top Teams Struggling, Two Local Coaches "Making Waves"

Report by Chen Yong With the conclusion of the sixth round on April 18, the 2026 CSL has passed one-fifth of its schedule. In these six matches, the league has been marked by unpredictability: strong teams such as Shanghai Port, Beijing Guoan, Shandong Taishan, and Zhejiang Greentown have continually encountered obstacles, completely beyond expectations; the tactical framework of the CSL is undergoing significant transformation, with common observations pointing to a clear increase in transition speed, which consequently has resulted in a higher error rate, also unforeseen; even more surprising is that the promoted team Chongqing Tonglianglong and the sophomore side Dalian Yingbo Haifa, led by two local coaches Liu Jianye and Li Guoxu, currently occupy top-three positions, an outcome that may not be shocking but is certainly astonishing. All these changes indicate that the CSL is quietly evolving in terms of competitive landscape and tactical systems.

After six rounds, Chengdu Rongcheng stands out among the title contenders, leading comfortably with a record of five wins and one draw. Shanghai Shenhua also performs decently, maintaining stability with four wins and two draws despite a 10-point deduction before the season. However, the results of other top teams are quite surprising: defending champion Shanghai Port has two wins, one draw, and three losses, with a win rate of only 33.3%, unimaginable at the season's start; Beijing Guoan, which recently won the Super Cup, has one win, two draws, and three losses, leaving their fans unprepared, though there are objective factors like refereeing errors; Shandong Taishan's three wins, one draw, and two losses show a stark contrast to their unbeaten run in the last 11 rounds of the previous season, dissatisfying fans; Zhejiang Greentown, considered a potential title contender this season, has two wins, two draws, and two losses, clearly hitting a bottleneck due to the absence of their offensive core Mitrice.

The struggles of the top teams do not necessarily signify their decline but rather highlight the intensity and fierceness of the CSL. Specifically, each team faces distinct challenges: Shanghai Port remains one of the most tactically mature teams, yet lacks adaptability against increasingly fierce competition and suffers significantly from injuries; Beijing Guoan has objective reasons like refereeing mistakes and also shows不适应 in adapting to the changing tactical systems; Shandong Taishan encounters bottlenecks in tactics and personnel deployment, revealing a lack of solid core strength with an aging squad and inexperienced youngsters; Zhejiang Greentown faces the瓶颈 of upward突破, lacking积累 in personnel, tactics, and mentality as they transition from a mid-to-top team to a title contender.

Currently, Chengdu Rongcheng has 16 points, Shanghai Shenhua and Shandong Taishan have 4 points, Zhejiang Greentown has 3 points, Shanghai Port has 2 points, and Beijing Guoan has 0 points, creating a clear gap within the title-chasing group. Naturally, we hope the following five teams can pressure Chengdu Rongcheng, making the CSL more exciting.

A notable phenomenon in the 2026 CSL is the varied perspectives on tactics and techniques. Positively, the transition pace has significantly accelerated. Take the "chaotic" sixth round: the Qingdao derby maintained a fast transition节奏 throughout, and the match between Dalian Yingbo Haifa and Henan Caitaofang was even more so. The overall impression of the 2026 CSL season is more accurately described as: first, there is rarely a methodical,层层推进 approach; second, except for个别 teams under pressure,很少有龟缩后场的 tactics, even Qingdao Hainiu facing severe困境敢于高压,转换 and适度控制; third, matches easily enter a fast-paced rhythm, not solely relying on foreign players for counterattacks as before, but involving the entire team in rapid transitions.

Conversely, the faster transition节奏 leads to a higher error rate. Whether in matches like Taishan vs. Port, the Qingdao derby, or Dalian vs. Henan, the error rate is notably high. We can clearly observe that with increased pace, players' ability to read the game and apply techniques under fast节奏 is明显不足.

However, this is not inherently problematic. The intensity of competition in the CSL has long been commendable, with many foreign players mentioning in interviews that the league's对抗强度 is considerable. Yet, the transition节奏 has historically been明显不足, with rare fast transitions relying solely on foreign players' individual abilities. Now, with the CSL's transition节奏全面提升, a higher error rate is a natural part of the transformation process. For the CSL, maintaining intensity and提升节奏 to align with international standards in these aspects is crucial before further improvements in tactics and technical application can follow.

Four wins and two draws without a loss is the record of CSL newcomer Chongqing Tonglianglong, securing a top-three position even without considering point deductions. Initially, expectations for Chongqing Tonglianglong were low, with views that their reinforcement as a promoted team was modest. However, Liu Jianye's加入 became their most critical enhancement.

Liu Jianye's success lies in precise opponent analysis and tactical responses. This 39-year-old coach, retired just over three years ago and previously只执教过梯队 and one year in the China League One, demonstrates coaching talent. His story resembles邵佳一's in the 2025 season. Interestingly, both teams share similarities: excellent foreign players combined with energetic young talents.

Li Guoxu achieved notable results in the 2025 season, but two consecutive losses at the start of the new season seemed to plunge him into困境. Just as attention focused on Li Guoxu and Dalian Yingbo's future, the team爆发, securing four consecutive wins, defeating Shanghai Port, Shandong Taishan, Zhejiang Greentown, and also the initially strong-performing Henan Caitaofang. Similar to Chongqing Tonglianglong, Dalian Yingbo Haifa boasts many young players, with Stanciu's加入 integrating them. This points to a future trend: considering the断层 in Chinese youth football between the 90s and early 00s generations, youth development will inevitably become a choice for more CSL clubs in coming years, including strong teams like Shandong Taishan.

Behind Liu Jianye and Li Guoxu lies the strongest support from Chongqing and Dalian fans, as with leader Chengdu Rongcheng. Indeed, the deeper reforms in the CSL, including the fierce抗争 of更多中下游 teams and the大幅加快 of transition节奏, are partly driven by fan support.