Foreign Player Contribution: A Barometer of Chinese Super League Performance

Written by Shen Mo In the first half of this year's CSL, the traditional league landscape has been completely disrupted. Chengdu Rongcheng's dominant run is inseparable from the contribution of their five foreign players, who led the league in the first half. Traditional giants such as Shanghai Port, Shanghai Shenhua, and Beijing Guoan have experienced clear performance declines this year, with the sharp decrease in foreign player contribution compared to last season being a crucial factor.

As the CSL reaches its halfway point, the influence of foreign player contributions on each team varies.

The decisive factor behind Rongcheng securing the mid-season title early is the significant increase in foreign player contribution.

Sorokin, Romulo, and Silva all had perfect attendance in the first half, with only Youssa missing five games and Felipe missing six. The foreign players' match attendance rate was 85.3%, and their playing time attendance rate was 78%. Foreign players scored 21 goals, accounting for 60.6% of the team's total goals. Including assists, they contributed to 24 goals, representing 72.7% of the team's total. In the first half, Rongcheng won 12 matches, with 10 winning goals coming from foreign players. The other two winning goals by domestic players were also assisted by foreign players. Rongcheng had only one draw in the first half—a 3-3 tie against Chongqing Tonglianglong, in which Silva also scored.

Felipe scored 9 goals and provided 1 assist in 9 games, during which Rongcheng won all 9 matches, including three stoppage-time winners that boosted morale. In the 6 games he missed, Rongcheng managed 3 wins, 1 draw, and 2 losses, with the win rate dropping from 100% to 50%. This highlights how heavily Rongcheng's offense relies on Felipe. Last season, due to Kalon's injury, Rongcheng could only field four foreign players for almost the entire campaign, with a match attendance rate of 64% and playing time attendance rate of 75.8%, both lower than this season. The defensive line led by Gorfinkel and Timo conceded the fewest goals (11) in the CSL first half, but foreign players contributed only 16 goals (53% of total goals)—5 fewer than this season—and participated in 21 goals (70%), 3 fewer than this year.

This season's first half saw Rongcheng's foreign players mostly fit. The defense led by Sorokin conceded only two more goals than the same period last year, but in attack, Felipe and Silva were in good form, scoring 3 more goals and earning 4 more points than last year. If Felipe had not missed 6 games in the first half, Rongcheng's points and goals would have been even higher, and their lead would have been larger.

As a promoted team, Tonglianglong has been the biggest dark horse in the CSL first half.

Tonglianglong's five foreign players were all signed this season. In the first half, they missed only 6 games combined, with a playing time attendance rate of 82.4%, ranking among the upper mid-tier of the CSL. However, their attacking contribution has been somewhat disappointing. Foreign players scored only 11 goals, tied for the third fewest in the CSL, ahead of only Port (10 goals) and Guoan (7 goals). The foreign player goal percentage was just 57.9%, and when including assists, the participation rate was only 63.2%.

Tonglianglong managed to earn 24 points and rank second in the CSL first half mainly due to their defense, which was outstanding—conceding the second-fewest goals in the league. Defender N'Gadeu and midfielder Amadou were instrumental. In terms of attack, Tonglianglong scored the third-fewest goals, ahead of only Qingdao West Coast (17) and Henan (16). The team relied on forwards Dimata (5 goals, 2 assists) and Kenpano (4 goals, 4 assists), whose attacking stats are mid-to-low in the CSL. If Tonglianglong wants to continue their success in the second half, they need to strengthen their offense.

Dalian Yingbo retained Mamadou, Alimi, and Malele this year, and brought in Stanciu and Acheampong. Foreign player playing time and offensive contribution have clearly improved compared to the first half of last season. Total foreign player matches increased by 9, playing time increased by over 1,100 minutes, and the attendance rate rose from 64.5% to 81.2%. The increased playing time of foreign players had a particularly noticeable impact on the team's attacking performance. Foreign player goals increased from 9 in the first half of last year to 15 this season, and goal involvements rose from 11 to 15.

This season's first half saw foreign players account for 71.4% of goals, up from 64.3% last year. Dalian's total goals increased by 7, most coming from foreign players. Stanciu's influence on Dalian Yingbo's attack has been crucial—the team's 5-match winning streak at the start of the season and the upset victory over Rongcheng were closely tied to his outstanding performances. Compared to the same period last year, the team gained 5 more points, climbing from 11th place last season to 3rd this year. This was achieved despite Malele and Stanciu missing a combined 7 games. If foreign player availability stabilizes in the second half, Dalian Yingbo's performance is worth looking forward to.

This year, Yunnan Yukun retained Burke, Yonitcha, and Oscar, and signed Kleber and Kaya. Foreign players made 71 appearances (6,020 minutes), ranking among the top in the CSL—an increase of nearly 1,200 minutes from last year—with an attendance rate of 89.2%. Yukun's foreign player playing time in the first half was third in the CSL, behind only Henan and Qingdao West Coast.

In the first half of this year, Yukun's foreign players scored 21 goals, tied with Chengdu Rongcheng for the most in the CSL—12 more than the same period last year—boosting Yukun's total goals by 6. Foreign player goals accounted for 77.8% of the team's total, and including assists, they participated in 23 goals (85.2%), both significantly higher than last year.

Oscar jumped from 2 goals and 3 assists last season to 11 goals and 2 assists this year; Yonitcha went from 3 goals and 2 assists to 3 goals and 9 assists; Kleber's 4 goals and 4 assists filled the void left by Enrique's departure. Unfortunately, despite the significant increase in goals, Yukun's points are actually 1 fewer than the same period last year, with defensive issues being the bottleneck to improving their results.

Excluding point deductions, Shandong Taishan's points in the first half of this year are the same as last year, but they scored 6 fewer goals. This season, Taishan's foreign players missed 7 games, with a match attendance rate of 90.7% and playing time attendance rate of 84.5%. In the same period last year, foreign players missed 4 games, with a match attendance rate of 94.7% and playing time attendance rate of 84.4%—very similar attendance rates.

The real difference lies in the attacking contribution of the trident. In the first half, Taishan's foreign players scored 19 goals (76% of total), and including assists, they participated in 23 goals (88.5% of total). Last season, foreign players scored 25 goals (80.6% of total), and with assists, they were involved in 26 goals (83.9%). While this year's participation rate appears higher, only Crespo's attacking stats (11 goals, 5 assists) improved over last year (6 goals, 4 assists). Zeca plummeted from 8 goals and 3 assists to 4 goals and 1 assist, while Kazaiyshvili dropped from 8 goals and 4 assists to 2 goals and 6 assists. The trident's total goals decreased by 5, and involvements dropped by 2. The trident went from multiple scoring threats last year to almost total reliance on Crespo this season, with Kazaiyshvili and Zeca's attacking numbers declining sharply. Combined with no obvious defensive improvement from foreign players compared to last year, the team's fluctuating results are natural.

Qingdao West Coast had the most foreign player playing time in the CSL first half—over 6,100 minutes—with an attendance rate of 90.6%, the highest in the league. Foreign players missed only 5 matches, with a match attendance rate of 93.3%. They scored 14 goals, accounting for 82.4% of all team goals. Including assists, foreign players participated in all 17 of the team's goals, a contribution rate of 100%. Across the entire CSL, West Coast boasts the highest foreign player contribution rate.

However, the limited quality of West Coast's foreign players significantly restricts the team's ability to earn points. Despite an 11-match unbeaten run, they scored only 14 goals and secured just 2 wins in that period. The team almost entirely relies on the attacking trio of foreign players. Compared to the same period last season, West Coast has the same points (18), one fewer win, three fewer goals, and one more goal conceded.

Zhejiang Greentown retained last season's center-back Lucas and winger Mitritzer. The team's strategy of prioritizing domestic players means relatively lower reliance on foreign players.

In the first half of this year, the foreign player match attendance rate was 79%, and playing time attendance rate was 71.5%. Guarilapa played only 10 games, and Mitritzer missed 5. The attacking contribution from foreign players declined compared to the same period last year. Foreign players contributed only 8 goals (40% of total), and including assists, they were involved in 13 goals (65%). In the first half of last year, foreign players scored 10 goals and were involved in 17 goals with assists.

This season's first half saw Zhejiang Greentown's foreign players have higher appearances and playing time than last year, but their goals and involvements were lower. The team's total goals decreased by 9 from last year, while goals conceded were nearly the same. Excluding point deductions, Greentown's points are 2 higher than last year. The reliance on Mitritzer remains prominent: in the 5 games he missed, Greentown had 1 draw and 4 losses; in the 6 games where he scored or assisted, Greentown went 5 wins and 1 draw, earning 16 points.

As a CSL promoted team, Liaoning Tieren's foreign player performance in the first half showed noticeable changes. The team started the season by signing the CSL's most valuable player, Zhenfinião, raising high expectations. Foreign player attendance was high, missing only 4 games in the first half, with a match attendance rate of 94.7% and playing time attendance rate of 82.8%. Foreign players scored 14 goals (70% of total) and with assists, contributed to 16 goals (80%). This contribution rate ranks in the upper-mid tier among CSL teams.

Liaoning Tieren's foreign player contribution rate varied by coach, with a clear dividing line when Xu Zhengyuan took over in early May. In the 5 matches under Xu, Tieren scored 13 goals, compared to only 7 goals in the first 10 rounds. In those 5 rounds, foreign players contributed 10 goals and 2 assists, a contribution rate of 92.3%, earning the team 10 points. In the previous 10 rounds, foreign players scored only 4 goals (57.1% contribution rate). The different coaches' influence on foreign player form is evident.

Shenzhen retained last year's center-forward Wesley and midfielder Kaltsev, replaced Dugaric with Benkovic in defense, and paired Wesley with Owusu and Ademi in attack. Benkovic missed 5 games due to injury in the first half, and Ademi, signed from Tianjin, missed 9 games due to injury. The team essentially operated with four foreign players for most of the first half. Foreign player match appearances decreased by 8 compared to last year, playing time dropped by 290 minutes, and the attendance rate was only 66.2%.

However, Wesley and other foreign players scored 17 goals—7 more than the same period last year—accounting for 85% of the team's total. Including assists, foreign players were involved in 90% of the team's goals. Despite fewer appearances and less playing time than last year, their goals and involvements increased significantly. Shenzhen's total goals rose by 4, and goals conceded dropped by 8. Last season's starting forward Thiago had only 1 goal; this year, Wesley has 8 goals and 2 assists, making him the main variable in foreign player contribution. Unfortunately, the team only gained 3 more points compared to last year. The significant improvement in foreign player contribution on both ends of the pitch has not been fully reflected in the points tally.

Last year, Guoan was the mid-season champion with an unbeaten run of 15 rounds. This year, their points and goals have plummeted, and goals conceded have surged. In the first half of this season, foreign players missed 20 games (only 9 last year); this year's match attendance rate was 73.3% (88% last year), and playing time attendance rate was 70.1% (79.9% last year)—all sharply lower. Last season, Guoan conceded only 14 goals in the first half (second fewest in the CSL), with N'Gadeu and Spajic performing steadily. This year, with only Ramos as a foreign defender, goals conceded increased by 9. Last season, Guoan won 10 matches in the first half; this year, only 5—directly linked to the surge in defensive goals conceded.

The biggest drop in foreign player contribution for Guoan this season is up front. Foreign players scored only 7 goals, the fewest among the 16 CSL teams, accounting for 26.9% of all goals. Last year, that figure doubled to 14 goals (40% of total). This year, including assists, foreign players were involved in 10 goals (38.5% of total); last year, they were involved in 24 goals (68.6%)—a decrease of 14 involvements and a sharp 44% drop in contribution rate.

In the first half of last year, Fabio had 11 goals and 6 assists, participating in 17 goals—half of the team's total. This year, he plummeted to 5 goals and 1 assist, accounting for only 23% of total goals—a 52.5% decrease. Last season, Guoan also had Gonzalo (2 goals, 5 assists) and Dawan (3 assists) helping in attack; this year, Nkolo (2 assists) and Dawan (1 goal) have very low stats. The sharp decline in attacking data is the root cause of Guoan's poor performance this season.

Henan retained defensive duo Maidana and Maya, plus midfielder N'Zarrio, and brought in Gustavo and Mubra. Foreign player appearances decreased by 4 compared to last season, but Maidana and Maya were ever-present. Foreign player playing time (6,075 minutes) was second only to Qingdao West Coast. In the first half, Henan conceded 18 goals (9 fewer than last year) and scored 6 fewer. Excluding point deductions, their points are 7 higher than the first half of last year.

In the first half, Henan's foreign players contributed 11 goals (68.8% of total) and with assists, were involved in 14 goals (87.5%). Last season, foreign players scored 18 goals (81.8% of total) and with assists were involved in all 22 goals. The Maidana-Maya duo scored 5 fewer goals than last year, but conceded an average of only 1.2 goals per game, helping the team finish the first half with a 6-match run of 4 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss. During that run, the team conceded only 4 goals in the 5 matches where they earned points.

This season's first half saw Shenhua suffer from severe foreign player injuries, leading to a clear decline in results. Mineiro was out long-term. Gai (7 goals, 2 assists) and midfielder Teixeira (3 goals, 1 assist) were injured from round 9 onward. Manafa was suspended for 4 games. In the last 4 rounds of the first half, Shenhua had only one foreign player—Ratang—available. Shenhua started with a 5-match winning streak thanks to Ratang and Gai, but as foreign players kept dropping, they managed only 2 draws and 5 losses in the final 7 rounds, dropping from 5th place to 12th.

This season, Shenhua's foreign players missed a total of 33 games, with a match attendance rate of only 56% and playing time attendance rate of just 51%. In the first half of last year, only Amadou was seriously injured; foreign players missed 17 games, with a match attendance rate of 77.3% and playing time attendance rate of 70.9%.

This year, Shenhua's foreign players scored 18 goals, the same as last season, accounting for 62% of total goals. Including assists, they were involved in 19 goals (73%). Last season, foreign players scored 52.9% of the team's goals and with assists were involved in 26 goals (76.5%). The continuous injuries to foreign players have caused Shenhua to score 5 fewer goals and concede 9 more than the same period last year. Excluding point deductions, their points are 12 fewer than last year.

The team most affected by foreign player injuries in the first half is defending champion Shanghai Port. The absentee records for their foreign players are: Jean-Claude 11 games, Gabriel 10 games, Anpem 6 games, Leonardo 4 games—totaling 31 games missed. Only Vitor was ever-present.

In the last 10 rounds of the first half, Port had at most 2 foreign players available for 8 rounds, and 3 foreign players for 2 rounds. The foreign player match attendance rate was 58.7%, and playing time attendance rate was only 50%. Excluding the ever-present Vitor, the other four foreign players had a playing time attendance rate as low as 37.5%. In the same period last year, Port's foreign players missed only 6 games, with a match attendance rate of 92% and playing time attendance rate of 80.5%. This year, due to injuries, foreign players missed 25 more appearances totaling 2,060 minutes—a 37.9% drop in attendance rate.

In the first half of this year, Port's foreign players scored 10 goals (43.5% of total) and with assists, were involved in 16 goals (69.6%). Last season's five foreign players scored 22 goals (64.7% of total) and were involved in 27 goals (79.4%) in the same period. Foreign players scored 12 fewer goals (over 50% drop) and had 11 fewer involvements (40.7% decrease). The foreign player goal share fell by 32.7%, and involvement share dropped by 12.3%. Port scored 11 fewer goals and conceded 2 more this first half. Excluding point deductions, they lost 14 points. In the first 5 rounds with a full foreign complement, they won 2 games; in the last 10 rounds with constant injuries, they also won only 2—a 50% drop in win rate.

Leonardo had 8 goals and 3 assists in the first half of last year, compared to 5 goals and 1 assist this year—a 45.5% decrease in involvements. Gabriel fell from 4 goals and 3 assists to 1 goal and 2 assists. Last year's Gustavo had 7 goals and 3 assists; his replacement Anpem this year has only 1 goal and 1 assist.

The long-term injuries to Gabriel and Jean-Claude severely damaged both the team's attack and defense. Combined with Leonardo and Anpem's injuries, suspensions, and form slumps, Port's foreign player contribution plummeted, leading to a serious decline in results.

This year, Qingdao Hainiu replaced all five foreign players. In the first half, foreign players missed only 8 games, with total playing time exceeding 5,500 minutes and an attendance rate of 81.5%. They scored 13 goals—4 more than last season—accounting for 59% of total goals. Including assists, they were involved in 17 goals (77.3% of total), which is 4 more than Hainiu's entire team goal tally in the same period last season.

Last season's first half saw Hainiu rely on Silva in attack, with his 6 goals and 1 assist accounting for half the team's goals. This season, Yeboah (6 goals, 3 assists) outperformed Silva, while Strandberg and Ejuma (3 goals, 1 assist) added firepower. Excluding point deductions, the team has 9 more points and 9 more goals than the same period last year. The complete overhaul of foreign players brought higher contribution. After a 7-match adjustment period at the start of the season, they went on a 4-match winning streak, scoring 13 goals, with foreign players involved in 12 of them, helping the team temporarily escape the relegation zone.

Wuhan Three Towns' foreign player absentee count (8 games) in the first half of this year is 5 fewer than last year. Total playing time is nearly the same, but foreign player goals and involvements have risen sharply. This season, thanks to the efficient Kadis (12 goals, 4 assists), the mid-season golden boot, foreign players contributed 20 goals—second only to Rongcheng and Yukun—accounting for 91% of total goals. Including assists, they were involved in 22 goals; only 1 of Three Towns' goals was unrelated to foreign players. In the first half of last year, foreign players scored 13 goals (65% of total) and with assists were involved in 15 goals (75%).

With improved attacking data, one would expect Three Towns to have better results this season. However, excluding point deductions, they earned only 13 points in the first half this year—5 fewer than last year. Foreign players scored 7 more goals, but the team's total goals increased by only 2, while goals conceded rose by 2.

Last season, the defense was anchored by Park Ji-soo, with 5 wins, 3 draws, and 7 losses in 15 rounds. This year, with Yancamka, they have only 2 wins, 7 draws, and 6 losses in 15 rounds. In attack last season, Tudorie scored 7 goals, bringing 11 points. This year, Kadis has 12 goals and 4 assists, involved in 16 goals, but bringing only 8 points. In the last 7 rounds of the first half, Kadis scored 8 goals and had 3 assists, participating in 11 of Three Towns' 12 goals, but the team conceded 14 goals and earned only 6 points.

Tianjin Jinmen Tiger's foreign player absences this season (7 games) are fewer than last year (10 games), with 200 more minutes of playing time and an attendance rate of 82.2%—higher than last year. Foreign players scored 16 goals in the first half, just 1 fewer than last season, and their involvement with assists also stayed at 18. The team's total goals decreased from 21 last year to 19 this year.

This year, foreign players accounted for 84.2% of all goals and 94.7% of all goal involvements in the first half, with only 1 goal unrelated to foreign players. This precisely highlights the team's over-reliance on foreign players. Comparing first-half data, the real problem is that key player Giles has declined, from 10 goals and 3 assists last year to 7 goals and 2 assists this year. Giles' goals and assists this season have earned Jinmen Tiger only 5 points, compared to 15 points in the same period last year. New forward Xitini only performed well in matches against Yukun and Guoan.

Although Jinmen Tiger's foreign player attendance, goals, and assists have not significantly declined this year, even excluding point deductions, their points are 7 fewer. This is because the key goals and assists that bring points have decreased. The 7-point gap has plunged Jinmen Tiger into the relegation zone.