The World Expo Tunnel, which stretches beneath the Huangpu River, connecting Pudong and Puxi reached its full length on August the 20th: it's 2.67 kilometers long, and located 1.117 kilometers below the river.The soccer World Cup qualifier match between North and South Korea has been moved from Pyongyang to Shanghai, because the North had refused to play the anthem or fly the flag of its opponent (technically the two Koreas are still at war). The......

This week, we headed to the Olympic football stadium (the Shanghai indoor stadium, to be exact), just to have a look. We ended up buying tickets for the evening's football game: Norway vs. Japan (women's preliminaries). OK, so we hadn't really expected Beijing style mobs, but to get four tickets for less than 100 kuai each still felt a little too easy. Tickets for the rest of this week's matches were still available on Tuesday,......

Olympic soccer (football) preliminary play started yesterday, with the Chinese women's team beating Sweden 2-1 on goals from Xu Yuan and Han Duan. The men's team plays New Zealand tonight in Shenyang, and Shanghai Stadium will host games next week, beginning with men's Group A matches on Sunday. Football is the most loved sport on the globe, but Cameron Wilson writes for China Sports Today that the Olympic tournament has little significance in the eyes......

Police said yesterday they had cracked down on a Shanghai terrorist cell planning violence at Olympic soccer matches in the city. Shanghai’s Olympic security office head Cheng Jiulong said police, who were put on “crisis” level several days ago, had learned of several international terrorist organizations and staged raids successful in arresting potential attackers. Information not mentioned in Jiulong's report included how many people were arrested, when they were taken into custody and where they......

About a week after sacking men's national team coach Vladimir Petrovic and, more remarkably, three weeks before the Olympics, China removed its men's soccer (football) Olympic head coach Ratomir Dujkovic on Thursday. The Chinese Football Association (CFA) has replaced him with Yin Tiesheng, who led the men's under-20 national team in 2004 and has also coached the CFA's Qingdao team. Dujkovic, who is Serbian, has not been fired by the association, according to this Xinhua......

In previous years it was the most eagerly awaited fixture on the Chinese football calendar. Dalian and Shanghai Shenhua, the two pre-eminent footballing powers in the country, have 10 championship titles and seven runners-up honours between them in the 14-year history of the Chinese professional league. The fact that all the runners up spots, and only two of the ten titles belong to Shenhua, made it all the more poingant in their crushing 3-1......

China's men's national soccer (football) team is letting head coach Vladimir Petrovic's contract expire after the team's disappointing attempt to qualify for the 2010 World Cup (Asian Football Confederation report). The Serbian was hired on an 11-month contract last August. In World Cup qualifying matches this spring, the team tied Australia 0-0 in Kunming, lost to Qatar 1-0 in Tianjin and lost to Iraq 2-1 in Tianjin. China's lone win of the campaign came against......

As the Euro Cup moves towards Sunday's championship match, China's own soccer team is watching from the sidelines after being ousted in the qualifying rounds for the 2010 World Cup, hoping for a more succesful performance in August's Olympic matches. The team's disappointing play has led to an outpouring of netizen analysis about how the world's most populous nation is seemingly unable to assemble a solid eleven-man line up. Some of the speculation is informative,......

The Brits are trying to pretend it isn't happening, and the Americans didn't realise it was in the first place, but Euro2008 is now fully underway. Time differences are the burden of all Shanghai-based football fans, and as this tournament is being held in Austria and Switzerland, these matches are no exception. During the group stages the games start at either midnight or 2:45 Shanghai time. Quarter Finals are split between 2:45 and 3:45 kick-offs......

Listening to the ever-excellent Football Weekly podcast from Guardian Unlimited the other day, we stumbled across the story of the Tibetan "national" team playing against Padania this week in Milan. If you're thinking "how can Tibet have a national team?" or "what the hell is a Padania?" then you've clearly never heard of the Viva World Cup. Frankly, you probably wouldn't be the only one. The Viva World Cup is a football (or soccer, if......

Shanghai Shenhua won their fourth home game on the trot at Hongkou stadium last night, comfortably sweeping aside Henan Jianye 2-0. (video highlights here) The home side were looking to get back on track after two dissapointing recent results on the road - a 0-0 draw against Qingdao and a last-gasp 2-1 defeat to newly-promoted Chengdu last weekend. However Shenhua were in full control throughout the match and got back into their stride when midfielder......

The random group selections for the Men and Women‘s Olympic Football (AKA soccer) competition were made last night in a blaze of Beijing razzmatazz. For those of you who haven't been paying attention, most of the original entrants to the football have long since been eliminated through a series of qualifying matches and only 16 teams remain. Of the few, the proud that will be playing in (amongst other host cities) Shanghai, both Chinese......

An absolute peach of a goal from young midfielder Shen Longyuan was the highlight of yet another entertaining win for Shanghai Shenhua at Hongkou Stadium last night. The Chinese Olympic squad member picked up a loose clearance right at the corner of the penalty box and lashed the ball into the opposite top hand corner of the net to put his side 2-0 up after 47 minutes and send the home fans wild. Earlier, Hamilton......

After referring to out-of-date information on the club website, Shanghaiist thought Shanghai Shenhua's next home match was next Wednesday. It is fact tonight, against Changsha Ginde at Hongkou Stadium. This makes it three home games within the space of 11 days for Shenhua, who will be hoping to add to their two fine victories against Shenzhen and Tianjin, respectively. The match kicks off at 7.45pm, check the public calendar entry on upcoming for all the......

Last year's Shenhua v Tianjin fixture was one of the best games of football Shanghaiist had seen for years (youtube highlights) and once again the teams did not dissapoint when they met again last night. All manner of entertainment was on offer during Shenhua's 2-1 victory, not least of which an amusing incident in which a fan invaded the pitch, seemingly to lecture Hamilton Ricard on his finishing. Confusion reigned as the middle-aged looking man......

Following their solid opening-day win over Shenzhen last week, (video highlights here) Shanghai Shenhua welcome Tianjin to Hongkou Football Stadium tonight for their second fixture of the 2008 CSL season. The start of the football season in China has seen the usual very modest flurry of stories across the English-language media, Goal.com has an interview with Shenhua coach Wu Jinggui by John Duerden, who also wrote a similar piece for The Guardian after attending last......

Fluent passing, solid defending and a winning performance were the unexpected hallmarks of Shanghai Shenhua's 2-0 victory over Shenzhen in their first CSL fixture of the season at Hong Kou stadium last night. Shenhua normally make somewhat sluggish starts to their championship campaigns but if last night's showing was anything to go by, 2008 might just be their year. Most impressive of all were the performances of new foreign signings Erick Scott and Emil Martinez.......

After a forgettable 2007 exiled in Pudong, Shanghai Shenhua return to their beloved Hongkou Football Stadium to kick off their 2008 Chinese Super League season against Shenzhen Shangqingyin tomorrow. The two-time domestic champions of China spent an unhappy year at the unatmospheric athletics sports facility on the other side of town whilst their home was refurbished, somewhat needlessly for the women's world cup. A corresponding fall in attendances, a troublesome merger, a first-ever defeat at......

It's the best that we have, though we have to admit this video doesn't do justice to the incredible spectacle that was made up of North and South Korean fan contingents at Hongkou Stadium for the two Koreas World Cup qualifier play-off on Wednesday. The action on the stands was just as, if not more, amazing to watch as the action on the field. Here are other vids we found on Youtube:......

DPRK 0-0 ROK; China 0-0 Australia; 26th March, 2008 A large crowd created a fantastic atmosphere at Hongkou Stadium last night but neither team were able to reward the great support with a goal, as North Korea battled to a 0-0 draw with South Korea. A game of few clear cut chances was largely controlled by South Korea, particularly in the first half, as DPRK fielded a defensive side with striker Jong Tae-se playing......

Ok, we know that China are taking on Australia in a crucial World Cup qualifier this afternoon at 2pm, but that's all the way down in Kunming and, frankly, we're not too optimistic about China's chances in this latest 'Group of Death' match. Therefore, match of the day has to be this evening's fixture at Hongkou Stadium where North Korea will take on South Korea (kick-off is 7pm). For those of you at the back......

Like all football connoisseurs, Shanghaiist loves nothing better than a good derby. Games like Feyenoord v Ajax where travelling supporters are banned. The sheer evil of Rangers v Celtic. The Latin heat of Real Madrid v Athletic Madrid. The Manchester United v Liverpool grudge match. The Superclásico of Boca Juniors v River Plate. And Shanghai Shenhua v Inter Shanghai lacked the history but not passion before one half upped sticks and moved to Xi'an. But......

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......

In a repeat of the utter ridiculousness of the Chinese gymnastics team being made to promise to be injury- and drug-free, the latest news is that the Chinese soccer team has been offered a million dollars as a reward and made to recite the following vow:“I pledge to advance to the World Cup, which is the professional goal that we strive for… We swear by death to kill along the bloody road of defending the......

Last week we were coasting on Shanghai Metro Line No. 2 when our attention was suddenly seized by this new Adidas ad displayed on the LCD next to the exit. We were so awestruck by the concept and grandeur of the commercial that we momentarily lost all of our cynicism about big corporations pushing merchandise...and almost missed our stop. Then, as we got on the escalator off the Huangpi Lu exist, we noticed the entire......

DHL to Invest $175 Million In New Shanghai Facility [WSJ] DHL Worldwide Express Inc. said it will invest $175 million in a new express-delivery hub in Shanghai to serve its customers in China and other countries in northern Asia.Shanghai mulls traffic 'congestion fee' [The Age] Shanghai is considering London-style "congestion fees" for private cars driving during peak hours to ease traffic strains caused by soaring car ownership, local media said.France Gets $29.62B in Chinese Contracts......

The free Metro Express commuter paper has a big front-page spread today on the People's Square metro interchange make-over. The headline announces that "People's Square Three Line Interchange Hall To Open By Year's End", which is old news to those who have been following the progress of the new metro Line 8. Instead, the reason for the story being published today is that the Shanghai Rail Transport Construction Headquarters just released a bunch of numbers......