China: Full slate of games in North & East as Chinese National Football League hits midseason
The last weekend of August looks jam-packed as the remaining teams in the North Division will reach the halfway point of their regular season. They will be joined by the East division also playing their games, with the headline matchup being the Shanghai Titans and Shanghai Warriors renewing their rivalry.
North Division:
Shenyang Spartans (1-0) vs Peking Watchers (1-0)
Both teams got their seasons off to great starts as the Spartans and Watchers won in relatively scrappy, low-scoring affairs. This game has become an important stepping stone for both teams, as a victory puts them at 2-0 and tied for first in the division.
Beijing Cyclones (0-1) vs Tianjin Black Sails (0-1)
On the flip side, the Cyclones and Black Sails enter their contest 0-1, desperately needing a win to stay alive in the race for a playoff spot.
Changchun Icebreakers (1-0) vs Tianjin Pirates (0-1)
Sadly, the Pirates forfeited the game against the Icebreakers. Changchun moves to 2-0, tied for first in the division alongside the Qingdao Conquerors.
East Division:
Shanghai Warriors (0-0) vs Shanghai Titans (1-0)
The marquee matchup game of the weekend is the clash between the Shanghai Warriors and the “visiting” Shanghai Titans. These old rivals will be butting heads for the first time since 2019. The Titans won their first game of the season with an impressive showing by their jumbo-sized offensive line that completely took over the 4th quarter against the Hangzhou Ospreys.
The Warriors, meanwhile, are still 0-0, with their game against the Shanghai Wolves postponed due to lightning.
Shanghai Nighthawks (0-1) vs Shanghai Wolves (0-0)
The other cross-town Shanghai game this week features the Nighthawks against the Wolves. The Nighthawks’ passing game looked anemic in their first game as the Shanghai Streetcats returned a couple of Nighthawk passes for touchdowns in their 20-6 loss. The Wolves are 0-0 as their debut game vs the Warriors was postponed.
Xuzhou Chuhan (0-1) vs Hangzhou Ospreys (0-1)
The Ospreys hung tough with the defending champs for 3 quarters, but in the end, the sheer size of the Titans proved too much as their defense wilted in the brutal summer heat. The Ospreys will find easier prey this week, as the inexperienced Chuhan face another tough Hangzhou team after facing the Smilodons in week 1.
Hangzhou Smilodons (1-0) vs Nanjing Tigers (1-0)
The Eye of the Tiger theme song will be played to full effect this week as both Tiger teams won their first game by a combined score of 82-0. A much closer contest is expected as the Hangzhou Smilodons look be rude hosts to the Nanjing Tigers.
Suzhou Blue Knights (0-1) vs Shanghai Streetcats (1-0)
The Blue Knights will be looking to bounce back from a brutal mauling at the hands of Nanjing in Week 1 as they face a Streetcats team that is riding high from their victory over the Nighthawks. With a cross-town matchup against the Wolves coming up in their next game, could this be a trap game for the Streetcats?
With half the league reaching the halfway point after this weekend, the playoff picture will slowly take shape as several teams have begun to separate themselves from a very large pack.
