Chengdu lose final four games to blow 12-point lead and Chinese title

Chengdu Rongcheng lose their final four matches of the season to give up a 12-point lead and throw away the Chinese Super League title. Chengdu lost 1-0 to Dalian in their penultimate game of the season Chengdu Rongcheng lost a fourth successive game to give up a 12-point lead and throw away the Chinese Super League title. A 3-2 loss on the final day to Shandong Taishan, combined with a 3-1 win for Dalian Yingbo against Tianjin Tiger, meant John Aloisi's side missed out on the Li Guozu trophy. It was a remarkable finale for Chengdu, who picked up just one point from their last five matches, while Dalian collected 15 from 15.

Both sides finished level on 52 points, but Dalian took the title with a better head-to-head record which included a victory over Chengdu in the penultimate game of the season. The title-race collapse will go down as one of the worst in football history, especially with the faltering finish from the side led by Australian Aloisi, who had spells at Portsmouth and Coventry City during his playing career. Kevin Keegan's Newcastle United famously gave up a 12-point lead to Manchester United in 1995-96 to miss out on the Premier League, while the Red Devils also blew a 12-point advantage over Arsenal in the 1997-98 campaign. Despite their