The 2017 Dalian Yifang F.C. season was the eighth season in club history.

Dalian Yifang won the League One title, and will be able to compete again in the Chinese top-tier league next season, after a 3-year-absence.

Squad First team squad

Zhu Ting was no longer the captain after his suspension, Wang Wanpeng was responsible for the rest of the season.

Reserve squad

Coaching staff As of 2017 season Position NameHead coach Juan Ramón López CaroAssistant coach Lorenzo AntolinezGoalkeeping coach Han WenhaiFitness coach Cédric ThyusTeam doctor Ramón MarínTechnique coach Abdelkader ChariiYouthcoach Pei Yongjiu

Transfers It's been reported that they have met with Samuel Eto'o, but finally signed Yannick Boli from Anzhi Makhachkala. For domestic players, Sun Guowen, who claimed his contract with Aerbin was illegal and refused to renew it, has returned after the local court judged the contract to be valid.

In Name Age Moving from Type Transfer Window Transfer fee Notes 12DF Zhou Ting38 Beijing Guoan Transfer Winter — —21MF Liu Yingchen24 Dalian Transcendence Transfer Winter — —24MF Han Xu28 Dalian Transcendence Transfer Winter€1.35M —5DF Jonathan Ferrari29 Club Atlético PatronatoTransferWinter——10FW Yannick Boli29 Anzhi MakhachkalaTransferWinterUndisclosed—DF Duan Yunzi22 Shenyang UrbanLoan ReturnWinter——MF Constantin Budescu26 Astra GiurgiuLoan ReturnWinter——

Out NameAgeMoving toTypeTransfer WindowTransfer feeNotes11FW Mohamed Bangura26 Dalkurd FFReleasedWinter——32DF Eddy Francis21 BoavistaTransferWinter——22MF Seykou Oliseh27—ReleasedWinter——MF Constantin Budescu26 Astra GiurgiuTransferWinter——MF Zhang Hui23 Shaanxi Chang'an AthleticLoanWinter——MF Duan Yunzi23 Shenyang UrbanLoanWinter——46MF Yang Fangzhi22 Dalian TranscendenceLoanSummer——48MF Wu Yuyin27 Yinchuan HelanshanLoanSummer——

Kits

Preseason Training matches

China League One

Review Dalian Yifang signed Spanish manager Juan Ramón López Caro before the season. The team will aim to gain promotion back to the Super League.

Juan Caro brought an effective strategy based on high pressing, long pass and quick counterattack, while the team significantly improved defence tactics by signing Jonathan Ferrari and Zhou Ting. Dalian Yifang achieved four consecutive winnings at the beginning of the season, and won 8 matches out of the first 10. By May, they were the team with the best defense, with only 5 goals conceded.

After beating Shenzhen F.C. on 7 May, Dalian Yifang went top for the first time within 708 days, since they led the league at the beginning of 2015 season. During the match, Shenzhen F.C. player Wang Dalong committed a rude foul to Nyasha Mushekwi, causing considerable damage to his right leg. After a 4–0 victory against Yunnan Lijiang F.C. on 18 June, Yifang ensured its position as the Summer Champion, with two matches yet to compete.

During the match with Xinjiang Tianshan Leopard, Mushekwi scored the 100th goal since the team was occupied by Dalian Yifang. The gap between them and Beijing Renhe came to 9 points after the match, but was reduced to 2 points after losing the second-leg match with Beijing Renhe, and their record of remain undefeated for 18 matches in a row was also terminated.

Yannick Boli scored the first hat trick in squad this season against Shanghai Shenxin on 23 September.

After winning the derby against Dalian Transcendence on 15 October, Yifang ensured a promotion back to the Chinese top-tier league, after competing 3 seasons (1078 days approximately) in China League One. Congratulatory messages were sent by both Dalian municipal government and Sun Xishaung, owner of the team. On 21 October, as Beijing Renhe was beaten by Hohhot Zhongyou, Dalian Yifang was led to the league title.

Dalian Yifang U17 Team claimed the title of 2017 China League One elite reserve team league on 21 November().

League table

Results summary

Position by round

League fixtures and results Fixtures as of 24 February 2017. Some fixtures may be adjusted if necessary. DateTimeOpponentGoalscorers and disciplined playersLocationStadiumReportDalian YifangOpponent111 MarSaturday15:00AMeizhou Hakka2–06,855Wang Wanpeng Sun Guowen Nyasha Mushekwi Jin Qiang Gibril Sankoh Luo Xi MeizhouWuhua County Stadium216 MarThursday19:00ABeijing BG2–04,152Jin Qiang Mushekwi Cheick Tioté Zou Zhongting BeijingOlympic Sports Centre (Beijing)32 AprSunday15:30HZhejiang Yiteng1–018,021Yannick Boli Zhu Ting Liu Yue Hao Qiang Li Xin DalianDalian Sports Center49 AprSunday15:30HQingdao Huanghai2–117,820Li Shuai Nyasha Mushekwi Sun Guowen Zhang Chong Joan Verdú Fan Lingjiang Zhao Shi DalianDalian Sports Center516 AprSunday16:30AXinjiang Tianshan Leopard0–13,721Zhou Ting Yannick Boli Jonathan Ferrari Wu Peng Vicente Arapat Babacar Gueye Zhou Heng Shewket Yalqun ÜrümqiXinjiang Sports Centre623 AprSunday19:00HWuhan Zall1–016,861Zhao Xuebin Wang Jinxian Mushekwi 90+2—DalianDalian Sports Center730 AprSunday19:35AShijiazhuang Ever Bright2–213,533Cui Ming'an Nyasha Mushekwi Li Shuai Zhu Ting Jonathan Ferrari Matheus Wang Peng Adriano Lü Jianjun ShijiazhuangYutong Sports Center87 MaySunday15:30HShenzhen F.C.2–122,691Nyasha Mushekwi 89Cui Min Zhang Jiaqi Tan Binliang Wang Dalong Preciado ,DalianDalian Sports Center914 MaySunday15:30ABeijing RenhePostponed for security of the Belt and Road forum in Beijing.BeijingBeijing Fengtai Stadium1021 MaySunday19:00HNei Mongol Zhongyou1–013,221Zhu Xiaogang Jin Qiang Zhou Ting Zhu Zilin DalianDalian Sports Center1128 MaySunday19:35AHangzhou Greentown1–14,575Zhu Xiaogang Sun Guowen Wang Jinxian Yannick Boli Chen Xiao Tong Lei Anselmo Ramon HangzhouHuanglong Stadium124 JunSunday19:00HShanghai Shenxin2–215,231Jonathan Ferrari Nyasha Mushekwi 90Yannick Boli Zhu Xiaogang Biro Biro Gu Bin Raúl Rodríguez DalianDalian Sports Center1310 JunSaturday15:30ADalian Transcendence4–215,772Sun Guowen Jonathan Ferrari Yannick Boli Zhao Xuebin Hu Zhaojun Ivan Božić Liu Yuchen Zhao Yibo DalianJinzhou Stadium1418 JunSunday19:00HYunnan Lijiang4–011,061Yannick Boli Wang Jinxian Wang Wanpeng Gao Furong DalianDalian Sports Center1524 JunSaturday19:30ABaoding Yingli ETS3–16,813Nyasha Mushekwi Sun Guowen Yannick Boli John Owoeri Li Yan Wang Hanbing BaodingLangfang Stadium162 JulSunday19:00HMeizhou Hakka1–115,831Wang Jinxian Yannick Boli 18' Wang Wanpeng Zhou Ting Huo Liang Japa Yao Junsheng DalianDalian Sports Center179 JulSunday19:00HBeijing BG1–016,001Li Shuai Jonathan Ferrari Sun Guowen Liu Yi Wen Chih-hao DalianDalian Sports Center1815 JulSaturday19:00AZhejiang Yiteng1–02,836Sun Bo Shan Pengfei Nyasha Mushekwi Wang Kai Guto ShaoxingShaoxing China Textile City Sports Center1922 JulSaturday19:30AQingdao Huanghai1–18,726Zhu Xiaogang Nyasha Mushekwi Jonathan Ferrari Jin Qiang Yang Yun Bari Mamatil QingdaoGuoxin Gymnasium929 JulSaturday19:30ABeijing Renhe1–011,243Zhu Xiaogang Jin Qiang Yannick Boli Zhou Ting Luo Xin BeijingBeijing Fengtai Stadium206 AugSunday19:00HXinjiang Tianshan Leopard4–020,331Jin Qiang Nyasha Mushekwi Yannick Boli Cui Ming'an Zhou Heng DalianDalian Sports Center2112 AugSaturday19:30AWuhan Zall1–111,131Zhou Ting Wang Wanpeng Shan Pengfei Marcelo Moreno Li Chao Huang Bowen WuhanWuhan Sports Center2220 AugSunday19:00HShijiazhuang Ever Bright2–226,126Jin Qiang Shan Pengfei Yannick Boli Nyasha Mushekwi Zhu Ting Jiao Zhe Matheus Lü Jianjun Jacob Mulenga Shao Puliang DalianDalian Sports Center2326 AugSaturday19:35AShenzhen F.C.1–09,291Han Xu Jonathan Ferrari Wang Wanpeng Du Longquan ShenzhenShenzhen Stadium243 SepSunday19:00HBeijing Renhe0–228,961Jin Qiang Sun Bo Yannick Boli Cao Yongjing Shi Liang Ivo Wan Houliang DalianDalian Sports Center259 SepSaturday19:35ANei Mongol Zhongyou1–010,032Jin Qiang Nyasha Mushekwi Zhou Ting Zhu Xiaogang Han Xu Li Shuai Davi 12'Zhang Tianlong Duan Jieyi HohhotHohhot City Stadium2617 SepSunday19:00HHangzhou Greentown0–118,631Shan Pengfei Zhu Xiaogang Anselmo Ramon Denílson Gabionetta Ge Zhen Luo Jing Zou Dehai Denílson Gabionetta DalianDalian Sports Center2723 SepSaturday15:45AShanghai Shenxin4–23,796Yannick Boli Zhou Ting Jonathan Ferrari Wang Wanpeng Sun Guowen Raúl Rodríguez Cleiton Silva ShanghaiJinshan Sports Centre2815 OctSunday15:30HDalian Transcendence2–124,981Yannick Boli Jin Qiang Jonathan Ferrari Zhu Xiaogang Zhao Xuebin Li Shuai Wang Hongyou 20'Fan Peipei Liu Yusheng Sheng Jun Zhao Yibo DalianDalian Sports Center2921 OctSaturday14:30AYunnan Lijiang1–02,781Shan Pengfei Zhou Ting Yannick Boli —LijiangLijiang Stadium3028 OctSaturday14:30HBaoding Yingli ETS0–143,159Sun Bo Du Junpeng Di You John Owoeri DalianDalian Sports Center

Chinese FA Cup FA Cup fixtures and results

Squad statistics League performance data As of 28 October. NameAgeChina League OneNoteGoals1GKZhang Chong2930010019GKYu Ziqian320000023GKChen Junlin24 - - - - -Not in squad5CBJonathan Ferrari302728008RBZhu Ting3224030027RBShan Pengfei242305002CBWang Wanpeng353033003CBCao Xuan320000012LBZhou Ting3825250113CBWang Yaopeng221010030LBHan Xuegeng28 - - - - -Not in squad32LBDong Yanfeng211000015DMJin Qiang24280100026AMCui Ming'an221911006DMZhu Xiaogang2924170024CMHan Xu292102007CMLi Zhendong27 - - - - -Not in squad14CMQu Xiaohui30 - - - - -Not in squad21LMLiu Yingchen241010028CMDu Yuxin24 - - - - -Not in squad36CMDong Honglin21 - - - - -Not in squad9CFNyasha Mushekwi30291620010CFYannick Boli29241660120LWWang Jinxian2129220011RWSun Guowen2327140029RWSun Bo262003004LWLi Shuai2216111033CFZhao Xuebin2413300017STYan Peng22 - - - - -Not in squad25STLi Yuqiu21 - - - - -Not in squadTotal

Suspensions Zhu Ting received a severe 7-match suspension because he spitted at the referee and misbehaved during the handshake, after the match against Shijiazhuang Ever Bright on 30 April. Zhou Ting and Boli both received a Red Card during the match against Meizhou Hakka on 2 July. Jin Qiang was the first player in squad to be suspended twice for accumulating four Yellow Cards. During the match with Beijing Renhe, Sun Bo committed a rude tackle, causing an ankle fracture for Ayub Masika, and received a 2-match suspension consequently.

Player No. of matches served Reason Date served Opponent(s) Zhu Ting7Spitting at referee, unfinished ritual after the match against Shijiazhuang Yongchang--Sun Guowen1Four Yellow Cards2 JulyMeizhou HakkaZhou Ting 1 Red Card vs. Meizhou Hakka 9 JulyBeijing RenheYannick Boli1Jin Qiang 1 Four Yellow Cards15 JulyZhejiang YitengJonathan Ferrari1Four Yellow CardsZhu Xiaogang1Four Yellow Cards6 AugustXinjiang LeoaprdJin Qiang1Four Yellow Cards26 AugustShenzhen F.C.Sun Bo2Violent tackle - -Yannick Boli1Four Yellow Cards9 SeptemberNei Mongol ZhongyouLi Shuai1Red Card vs. Nei Mongol Zhongyou17 SeptemberHangzhou GreentownZhou Ting1Four Yellow Cards17 SeptemberHangzhou GreentownShan Pengfei1Four Yellow Cards23 SeptemberShanghai ShenxinJonathan Ferrari1Four Yellow Cards21 OctoberYunnan Lijiang

References