In recent years, China has embarked on an ambitious project of acquiring renowned players from across the globe, and Shanghai Port has emerged as a prominent force in this endeavour.
They have successfully attracted the UEFA Europa League and English Premier League winner Oscar, as well as ex-Porto player Paulinho. Additionally, their new coach, Spaniard Javier Pereira, adds further attraction to their story.
Shanghai Port, a team that was just founded in 2005, currently leading their league with 26 points after just 10 games, is a testament to the shifting dynamics within the CFA Super League, as they finished fourth in the past two seasons.
In this tactical analysis article, in the form of a team scout report, we delve into Shanghai Ports journey until now, dissecting their tactics, exploring the impact of Javier Pereira and examining the wider implications of Chinas pursuit of football excellence.
Positional rotations
Since assuming the helm of the team on March 1, 2023, coach Pereira managed 10 matches in the tournament and his team has remained unbeaten with only two draws and eight victories.
The 57-year-old has preferred the 4-3-3 structure for approximately 90% of the games with a distinct Spanish identity in their style of play. They prioritise building from the back, employing short and progressive passes and a modern positional rotations approach.
Their short horizontal passes for possession can easily be seen in the graphic below, as they have an average of 55.86% possession while their opponents have 44.14% and their overall rate for any given match is 480.5 passes (85.3% accuracy) versus 329.6 (81.3% accuracy) for the opponents.
From the back, Shanghai Port build with a 4-1 base. Goalkeeper Junling Yan focuses on short passes and playing to areas less vulnerable to being pressed, aiming to penetrate through the sides, utilising the deeper positioning of their fullbacks.
Against
