Photo by Brad Westphal Shanghai East Asia Hong Kong United 0 – 3 LA Galaxy Two late goals from Ecuadorian striker Carlos Ruiz gave a final scoreline that not only overstated the quality and excitement of this game, but also flattered a lack-lustre LA Galaxy side at the largely empty 80,000 Shanghai Stadium. East Asia had reduced Major League Soccer's Galaxy to few chances on goal and had even looked the more threatening side......

Tonight will see the massive Shanghai Stadium host a sporting event for seemingly the first time in ages. More akin in recent times to holding pop concerts and ceremonies, the 80,000 all-seater arena will be the venue for an exhibition match between American MLS Soccerball team LA Galaxy and China Division One side East Asia (kick-off 7:30pm). The match is part of the Galaxy’s pre-season tour of East Asia and will also serve as a......

... and if the problem is not sorted out in time, Chinese fans may not get to see David Beckham this Wednesday, says Ruud Gullit, head coach of the LA Galaxy. Our city may be home to some of the world's tallest and most beautiful (okay, that one's subjective) skyscrapers, but as it turns out, we have problems keeping soccer pitches clean. Here's Gullit's complaint, quoted verbatim from an AFP report: "The pitch is in......

David Beckham was swarmed by fans and journalists when he arrived yesterday at the Pudong airport with the LA Galaxy on the second stop of their three-part Asian tour. The team has just arrived from Seoul, where they were defeated by FC Seoul despite Beckham's stellar performance. The team faces off China All-Star Union at the Shanghai Stadium this Wednesday, March 5 at 7:30 pm. For those of you hoping to catch some Beckham-mania, rumours......

By Jos H.L. Kurstjens Around Shanghai New York Times: Plan to Extend Shanghai Rail Line Stirs Middle Class to Protest AFP: Shanghai metro apologises to kissing couple in Internet video Xinhua: Shanghai aims to become national trendsetter AFP: Beckham to play in Shanghai China Daily: Shanghai to base growth on service industry The New Year Chill AFP: Snow storms cause deaths in China ahead of Lunar New Year AP: Heavy snow in China strands......

...says the Chinese female population. According to China Daily, the Hong Kong superstar topped the list of most desired sperm surveyed by 1000 women and conducted by Self Magazine. The women cited his good looks and wealth. Right on his heels, in second place, was none other than Bill Gates, also due to his wealth great charm and good looks. At a measly and disappointing tenth place came Brad Pitt. Whether or not Lau would......

David isn't the only Beckham that's globetrotting and reveling in his fame: It's official, Girl Power is back, and the Spice Girls reunion tour will make two stops in China. But the only two shows are January 10 in Beijing and January 12 in Hong Kong. What, no Shanghai? Photo from no frills marilyn's Flickr page.......

Newly crowded A3 cup winners Shanghai Shenhua get back down to domestic business tomorrow night in their first home fixture in five weeks when Tianjin come to town. Things on the Shenhua front have been rather busy of late. Not content with winning the A3 Championship for the first time (see You Tube clip), controversial new signings coming in and domestic stars going out have been the order of the day. Former Middlesbrough striker Hamilton......

Despite being the first Chinese player to appear the UEFA Champions League, one half of China's most famous footballing double act looks set to return to Shanghai Shenhua. Sun Xiang, twin brother of Shenhua team-mate Sun Ji, joined leading Dutch club PSV Eindhoven on a six-month loan in January — but the Eredivisie side cannot agree a fee to take up their option of a three-year permanent deal. The 25-year-old Shanghainese defender is still hopeful......

Sydney FC and Shenhua played out a rather dull 0-0 draw down under last night, with the Shanghai side failing to score for a third consecutive AFC Champions League match. It was another insipid performance on the continental stage for Shenhua, who, already eliminated, played with a somewhat under-strength squad. Shanghaiist attempted to tune in to the match on local TV, but for some reason, most of the first half was not shown. Viewers......

Yesterday, for the first time since China launched it's professional football league in 1994, Beijing Guoan beat Shanghai Shenhua on their own turf. The capital outfit beat Shenhua 2-0 at Yuanshen Stadium in Pudong, but the historic first was over-shadowed somewhat by the furious reception reserved for new Shenhua owner, online gaming tycoon Zhu Jun. He masterminded an RMB 150 million merger between Shenhua and rivals Shanghai United just a few weeks before the season......

God, we're so sick of Snakes on a Plane that we want to kill anyone and everyone that makes a "something on a something" joke. But then we realized that there was no way we could ever win this fight, and, hell, if you can't beat them, we might as well join them. And with that, you have the theme of this weeks' Gothamist network post. Austinist makes it easy for us, with Candidate on......

A small debate is raging on the internet about the place of street culture in Shanghai. This after a 24-year-old troubadour complained about being fined five yuan and kicked out of the Caobao Lu subway stop because Shanghai doesn't allow begging or any kinds of performances in or near subway stops. Wal-Mart employees in China have formed their own union. Says the report: Wal-Mart has long battled to bar unions from its stores, in the......

Rumors have it that Yiqu (China's eBay) is no longer a contender and may soon quit the China market. At least Jack Ma, who helped create Taobao, one of China's own C2C e-commerce sites, seems to think so -- and it seems this might be more than just trash talking, since Shanghai based iResearch's new report shows that Taobao has a 60 percent market share. Strangely, it seems that last year the numbers were reversed,......

This story tells us that Shanghai's Madam Tussauds museum will open May 1 and feature 21 wax figures of "celebrities like Jackie Chan." And we always though Jackie was one of a kind. What other celebrities are like Jackie Chan, you ask? Here's a sampling: Princess DianaBill GatesDavid BeckhamTom CruiseAlbert EinsteinYang Liwei, astronautYang Zhengning, Nobel Prize winnerLiu Xiang, Olympic hurdling championYao MingAndy LauJay Chou These won't be boring wax figures just standing there looking all......

Shanghaiist once visited Madame Tussauds in London after a big night of Theakston’s Old Peculier and, while sitting ashen-faced and stupefied in a chair, was mistaken for one of the exhibits by two elderly ladies. We’re not sure who they thought they were looking at, but it sure as hell wasn’t Brad Pitt. We’re unsure, too, whether Brad Pitt will feature in the new Shanghai version of Madame Tussauds -- coming to the city next......

It was just over a year ago that Shanghaiist was with a company -- whose CEO is rumored to have been beaten-up by thugs at least once and possibly arrested for fraud by Chinese police -- that was commissioned to write up a business plan for a Chinese developer based in People's Square, looking to add a little amusement park gaudiness to the Square's collection of museums. The developer had been making frequent trips between......

"Beijing or bust!" That's been the Summer Break 2005 mantra for foreign soccer clubs. Manchester United plays there today. Sheffield United played there last week. And just a few days ago, a Beckham-less Real Madrid squad sloshed its way to a 3-2 win over Beijing Hyundai. Depending on who you read, Beijing's 70,000-seat Workers' Stadium was either less than half full or just barely half full for that match, but everybody reports that Real Madrid......