Shanghai Lions celebrate victory over Shanghai 2000 in SPL 2012 match at Century Park

Lions Roar Back to SPL Competition with 6–2 Win over Shanghai 2000 FC

Last Sunday, the SPL Lions returned to league action against Shanghai 2000 FC, a newly joined team in the SPL and former SIFL First Division regulars.

Perfect football conditions set the stage—blue skies, warm sunshine, and arguably the best pitch in Shanghai at Century Park. But unfortunately, we were missing several players.

While some Lions like Jack (in Hangzhou) and Joel (fresh off a flight) informed us early enough, a few others cancelled just minutes before kickoff—or didn’t show up at all. Not acceptable. A reminder to all: respect your teammates and the club—especially when others were left out thinking we were overbooked.

📝 Match Summary:

We lined up in a 4-3-3 formation aiming for an offensive style of play.
In the first half, we dominated possession in midfield but played too slowly and too centrally. Shanghai 2000 defended high, catching us offside repeatedly, but eventually the breakthrough came:

Terao opened the scoring after a great assist from Maxime.
We led 1–0 at halftime but knew we had to up the tempo.

In the second half, the game opened up:

Briac netted a rocket to make it 4–0.
We kept scoring with well-worked team goals, reaching 5–0.
After some substitutions in defense, Shanghai 2000 pulled one back (5–1).
Freek replied immediately with a composed finish (6–1).
The opponent added a late consolation for a final score of 6–2.

[ SPL ] Century Park FC 2-6 Shanghai Lions

⚽ Key Takeaways:

Great to be back in competition with a solid win.
Fantastic weather and pitch—now let’s match that with sharper game speed and better defensive headers.
Communication and player commitment remain crucial.