Pandemic Penalties: Cameron Wilson talks COVID and soccer from Shanghai

Chinese F1 driver Zhou Guanyu just missed out on another points finish (1:33), this time in Saudi Arabia, with the race going ahead despite a missile attack within range of the track. Mark and Haig share a few harrowing moments of their own (2:54).

Mark tells the story of how he first met Chinese football expert Cameron Wilson (7:14), who joins for this week’s show from Shanghai, where he’s under lockdown (9:33). Wilson describes the mood in the city (11:35), and offers some thoughts on whether we should be skeptical of the COVID numbers coming out of Shanghai (13:13).

Turning to football, is another failed World Cup campaign another low point for Chinese football (16:46)? Why is so little progress made year after year (18:00)? Are there any reason for optimism (20:00)? As Haig’s Canada qualifies for the first time in 36 years, Wilson draws some parallels between the two countries (23:00). 

One main issue is the lack of a footballing pyramid system in China, with few outlets for fans and players outside of the CSL (25:40). Wilson talks about how the perception of Chinese football overseas typically splits into two (29:40), how power dynamics in professional squads prioritize seniority over talent (31:15), and discusses whether match-fixing is still an issue in Chinese football, highlighting one example from recent memory (33:50). Finally, Wilson explains why he thinks some of his translated pieces on Chinese football have gained traction among Chinese football fans (38:52).

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