Shangdong soaring as China takes a World Cup break

BEIJING, May 29 (Reuters) Shangdong Luneng beat Xiamen Lanshi 2-0 at the weekend to go nine points clear at the top of the Chinese Super League as the troubled championship headed into its mid-season break just in time for the World Cup finals.

With allegations of match-fixing and refereeing controversies still swirling around, Chinese soccer fans might be excused a sigh of relief as they turn their attentions to Germany.

Many millions of Chinese will be glued to the blanket television coverage of the World Cup finals even though China failed to qualify and the games will mostly be shown in the middle of the night.

''China has a massive number of football fans who will stay up to watch the matches, and I'm one of them,'' the country's Premier Wen Jiabao told German Chancellor Angela Merkel on her visit to Beijing last week.

After finishing second and third in the first two seasons of the CSL, Shandong look in good shape to take the title when the league resumes with champions Dalian Shide struggling in sixth and their predecessors Shenzhen Kingway two places further back.

China striker Li Jinyu's 13th goal of the season on Saturday set Shandong on their way to an 11th win in 15 games, further extending their advantage over surprise packages Changchun Yatai who lost 1-0 at home to Shanghai Shenhua.

Li grabbed a brace on the opening day of the season against Xiamen and has not stopped scoring since, his tally including four in a 5-0 drubbing of his former club and Shandong's provincial rivals Liaoning last week.

''We always have high expectations and we are very pleased with our achievements in the first half of the season,'' Han Gongzheng, Shangdong's executive manager, said. ''I hope our players can continue the good tendency after the World Cup break.'' Newly-promoted Changchun's start has been the biggest surprise of the season but that success would be dwarfed if they achieved the highly-ambitious target of adding three-times World Player of the Year Zinedine Zidane to Chen Jingang's young squad.

Shenhua, fourth behind Beijing Guo'an, recently recruited a European international in the formidable shape of former Germany and Bayern Munich striker Carsten Jancker. They will hope his aerial threat can recharge their campaign after the break.

Relegation strugglers Liaoning and Chongqing meet on Wednesday in the last fixture before the break with round 17 of the championship taking place on July 12 and 13.

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