Darío Leonardo Conca

 
Age: 28
Origin: Argentina
Team: July 2, 2011- Guangzhou Evergrande
CSL ranking: 1
Contract: $10 million, 3.5 years
Position: attacking midfielder
Appearances: 15
Goals: 9
Assists: 6

The most expensive player in the CSL by far made a glamorous debut on July 14, when Evergrande hosted Nanchang Hengyuan. He stepped onto the field in the last 20 minutes, setting off chants of his name with crafty and pinpoint passes and a 38-meter goal.

Voted the best player in Brazil in Globo's poll, the former Fluminense midfielder scored nine goals and made eight assists, proving to be the club's dominant playmaker. Hopefully Evergrande and Conca will get the most out of the three and a half years, and, if you believe the gossip, Conca may think of playing for China.

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Luiz Guilherme da Conceicao Silva "Muriqui"

Age: 25
Origin: Brazil
Team: June 30, 2010-
Guangzhou Evergrande
CSL ranking: 1
Contract: $3.5 million, 4 years
Position: winger/striker
2011 Appearances: 26
Goals: 16
Assists: 7

The Brazilian ranks as the top CSL scorer in 2011. He is the only one of Evergrande's six foreign aids who was with the team when it was relegated to the second tier League One as punishment for match fixing. His amazing goal rate helped Guangzhou get back up to the top flight.

He threatened to leave after being suspended for five matches and fined 25,000 yuan for being involved in a scuffle with Liaoning Whowin. But Evergrande managed to pacify and keep the most powerful striker to complete the contract.

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Luis Salmerón

Age: 29
Origin: Argentina
Team: Jan 2011- Shanghai Shenhua
CSL ranking: 11
Position: striker
Appearances: 26
Goals:12
Assists: 4

Both South American scorers helped to lift their clubs, once top of the Chinese football clubs, above relegation. De Macedo signed for another two years with Henan Construction on Nov 3, one day after the CSL 2011 was finished. 

Aleksandar Jevtic

Age: 26
Origin: Serbia
Team: July 7, 2011- Jiangsu Sainty
CSL ranking: 4
Position: winger
Appearances: 17
Goals: 11
Assists: 3

Jiangsu Sainty scored 43 goals this season, of which 24 go to Danalache and Jevtic.

Sainty ranked 10th in 2009 and 11th in 2010, and a lackluster start in the third year of its CSL games hardly made people notice it. After five defeats and a draw, Sainty only made two goals.  Then Serbian coach Okuka (left) took over on May 11. His stress on offense soon made Sainty more aggressive in its front.

The club defeated visitor Dalian Shide 4-0 in the 13th round, with Danalache scoring twice. It beat Shide again 3-0 when it visited the latter in the 29th round. Danalache scored a penalty, while Jevtic, who joined the club in July, converted a header-relay into a goal. In the 28th round, Sainty beat the star-studded champions Evergrande, 5-2. Jevtic scored once, and Danalache doubled his goal in the 52nd minutes. 

Cléverson Gabriel Córdova "Cléo"

Age: 26
Origin: Brazil
Team: Feb 10, 2011- Guangzhou Evergrande
CSL ranking: 1
Contract: 3.2 million euros, 4 years
Position: striker
Appearances: 10
Goals: 10
Assists: 1

Regardless of the number of appearances, the talented forward is without doubt the most efficient scorer of the season. But the thigh injury, partly due to his failing to adapt to Guangzhou's humidity, kept him away from the field for about five months.

It is said that Evergrande has expected much more from the 3-million-euro trade. Now back in Brazil for treatment, the 26-year-old may consider his next club, and find a place that can boost his career.

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Walter Julián Martínez Ramos

Age: 29
Origin: Honduras
Team: 2007-2008/2010-2011: Beijing Guoan
CSL ranking: 2
Position: winger/striker
2011 Appearances: 26
Goals: 10
Assists: 3

Guoan, who reached the second place this season, ended its contract with the Honduras right winger.

His skills and height may have fallen short of what coach Pacheco would have expected in a forward.

After being injured on June 19 in a CONCACAF Gold Cup match with Costa Rica, he slipped from his regular performance back in Guo'an, but still scored the second most goals for the club.

The tears he shed showed how tough the departure was for Martinez, who played four seasons for the club. 

Chinese soccer is witnessing  fewer violent tackles and other dangerous fouls than in the past, but players are still exposed to risks that may cost them their health and career.

In the 25th round, Olguin crashed his skull and cervical vertebrae while vying for the ball with an Evergrande player, which ruled him out of the rest of league matches. The accident was so shocking that a photographer near the spot said he "could even hear the terrible cracking sound".

Teda didn't renew its contract with him after this season, but fans were reluctant to let the 6'2'' striker go.

Now in Argentina for further treatment, Olguin expressed his hope to come back to the CSL next season. Fans, keep your fingers crossed. 

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Omar Troussier

Age: 56
Origin: France
Team: Shenzhen Ruby
Clubs coached (part): Red star 93, ASEC Mimosas, Olympique de Marseille 
National teams coached: Côte d'Ivoire, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, South Africa, Japan, Qatar, Morocco

Under his coaching, Japan won the 2000 Asian Cup and the 2001 Confederations Cup, and made it to the last 16 of 2002 World Cup, not to mention his generally successful coaching career in Africa.

But maybe it's time fans admitted that they expected too much too soon. Troussier became coach of Shenzhen Ruby FC in February. And the club slipped to relegation one game before the end of the season. Later, seven players refused to take part in a training session over labor disputes, making the situation worse for the club that once drew top Chinese players and claimed the league's title in 2004. The Frenchman also had a tough time with the club's management. According to Beijing Times, Troussier wants to see manager Yu Huaiying leave if he is to stay for another season.

Time will tell if he can save Shenzhen Ruby, but we hardly know how much time he's got.

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Filippo Inzaghi, Italy

The first international football great who is rumored to be considering joining the China Super League (CSL) is AC Milan's Italian midfielder Inzaghi.

As his contract with Milan will run out next year, the once-prolific scorer, who has been struggling with injuries, set his eyes on the Chinese league giants Shandong Luneng club. But the transfer may be rejected by Luneng.

"There's no doubt about Inzaghi's strength, but he'll turn 39 next year. Too old for us," an unnamed high-ranking official from Luneng club said, according to local media in Shandong province. Would Chinese fans get the chance to witness the legendary striker's skills and charm, making up for his absence in the Italian Super Cup at Bird's Nest? It is still yet to be known.

Carlos Tevez, Argentina

Manchester City's striker Carlos Tevez is expected to switch to China's super league as the Argentine star's relationship with Mancini-led City deteriorated after he refused to warm up in their Champions League match at Bayern Munich in late September.

"Tevez contacted a Chinese football club at the end of last season, but his China trip was aborted for some unknown reasons," an insider said in the Shanghai-based Oriental Morning Post. "Now the club has extended their invitation to Tevez." When rumors spread about City's plan to sell Tevez's contract in January in a £25 million deal, the Chinese club made overtures to the striker. Hopefully we'll see in a certain CSL game some powerful shoots and tango flair celebrations by the football genius.

Nicolas Anelka, France

The 32-year-old forward, who has managed just one goal in 14 appearances in all competitions this campaign, comes out of contract at Stamford Bridge at the end of this season.

Anelka's contractual situation has seen him linked with a host of clubs, which a Shanghai Shenhua official said would price the CSL outfit out of such a deal.

Sven Goran Eriksson, Sweden (Coach)

Shandong Luneng FC of the CSL has denied that they were contacting Swedish coach Sven Goran Eriksson, who managed England, Mexico and Cote d'Ivoire. But the club admits that they have received his statistics.

The British newspaper The Independent said Eriksson's people have been searching for opportunities in China.  Though Shandong Luneng is hedging on its next coach, Eriksson still has plenty of chances from other CSL clubs who are eager to draw experienced internationals in order to survive in the league.