Choke of the century? Chengdu collapse sets up thrilling Chinese Super League climax

John Aloisi’s side need a point on the final day to seal their maiden title – but their form has dropped off a cliff

With four games of the Chinese Super League to go, Chengdu Rongcheng needed just a point to clinch their first title. With one game to go, they still need a point. What was a formality has become a formidable task. The biggest bottle job in Asian football history is very much on and it would be as popular as it would be dramatic.

The coach of the Sichuan club, the former Portsmouth and Coventry striker John Aloisi, has seen a 12-point lead over Dalian Yingbo cut to just three before Sunday’s showdowns. Whatever happens, this is a positive and thrilling end to a season that started negatively – literally – with nine of the 16 top-tier clubs kicking off on minus points. They had been punished as part of a “special campaign to crack down on match-fixing, gambling and corruption in the football industry”, said a joint statement from the Chinese Football Association, the Ministry of Public Security and the General Administration of Sport at the time.

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