The Aloisi Brothers Derby Premieres Today

Written by Zuo Rui In the recent four rounds of the Chinese Super League, Ross Aloisi's team has been stuck in a slump—three losses and one draw, without scoring a single goal. The desire to break free from this predicament extended into the eighth round of the CSL, becoming even more intense when facing his younger brother, John Aloisi.

This marks the first occurrence of the Aloisi Brothers Derby in the Chinese Super League. John has just led his team to four consecutive victories, with six wins and one draw in the first seven rounds, ranking first in the CSL.

At 7 PM tonight at Chengdu's Wuliangye Sports Center, Chengdu faces Zhejiang. The two Aloisi brothers, each serving their own team, must set aside the joy of their reunion and engage in a "face-off without mercy" under the watchful eyes of the public.

This is the second time the two brothers have met as head coaches in a match since their encounter in the Australian A-League on December 15, 2023. That time, Ross's Brisbane Roar lost 1-0 to John's Western United away. Nine days later, Ross resigned and flew to Shanghai to become an assistant coach to Muscat at Shanghai Port.

April 17 was Ross's 53rd birthday, and Zhejiang drew 0-0 with Beijing Guoan at home. On that day, his younger brother called to wish him a happy birthday. As peers, both understand that the best birthday gift is a victory. Subsequently, at Wuhan, where John had just secured three points, Ross stated that every head coach is an independent thinker, even if they are brothers.

The 0-2 result on Tuesday night showed that even his younger brother's advice couldn't help him: before the match, defender Lucas suffered a leg injury; during the match, Cheng Jin had a muscle strain and Tao Qianglong dislocated his left shoulder; after the match, Lucas and Cheng Jin returned to Hangzhou one after another, joining Liu Haofan, who was unable to travel due to injury, for recovery. Upon arriving in Chengdu, main goalkeeper Zhao Bo's wrist injury recurred, making his availability questionable.

During pre-match warm-ups, half of Zhejiang's key players were either injured or suspended, with the absence of attacking core Mitritse due to suspension being the most direct impact. The only good news was the return of striker Guarilapa. Regarding this, Ross said injuries are part of football, and he would make corresponding tactical and personnel adjustments. The best way to cope with difficulties is through unity.

During the pre-match press conference, foreign player Toric and the head coach both expressed high expectations for the match. Later, during the visiting team's field adaptation session, there was a brief overlap with the host team's schedule, but the Aloisi brothers did not meet face-to-face. Their first reunion on the field since coming to China four months ago would have to wait until the match began tonight.

In public, Ross did not mention the brothers' derby, but during the first targeted training session after arriving in Chengdu, he told the players that everyone knows the opponent is stronger this time, and their head coach is his younger brother, but precisely because of this, he "even more doesn't want to lose to Chengdu." He demanded the whole team to create and seize scoring opportunities as much as possible while maintaining solid defense.

John naturally doesn't want to lose this match either. Chengdu, leading in points, holds a rare championship opportunity in recent years. If he doesn't deploy all elites and go all out to defeat the opponent, it would be hard to explain to tens of thousands of home fans.

“This showdown holds extraordinary significance for our entire family, but I understand my brother's mindset this week and also know my own position. The focus of this match has never been on us two brothers, but on the teams we each coach,” John said.

Soon after Ross led his team off the field, John publicly emphasized the significant meaning of this match for the team and fans, hoping to show their best form and deliver an "exciting showdown" for the fans. Clearly, this reunion between brothers won't be as warm as the parties in their backyard in Adelaide.

April 25 is the birthday of their father and启蒙教练 Rocky Aloisi. John called to invite his dad to Chengdu to watch the match and celebrate his birthday, but Rocky clearly declined this cross-ocean football trip,理由很简单, “No, for such a match, I wouldn't enjoy it.” John joked that his dad would regret it, “This kind of brothers' showdown happens only once, especially on your birthday.”

John stated that his father would definitely feel uneasy this week, “He will be full of tension, after all, he genuinely hopes both of us achieve good results. But he knows deep down that no matter the final outcome, one of us brothers will be disappointed. Even if the match ends in a draw, one will brood over it; if one wins joyfully, the other will inevitably feel失落.” John believes his father would feel proud but很难坦然面对.

John revealed that he often talks with his father before and after matches, but sometimes regrets it after chatting, “He always tends to think negatively. After our 5-1 big win, he immediately said, ‘You won, but the opponent had a player sent off, so don't get too carried away.’”