Cao Yunding

Cao Yunding
曹赟定
Personal information
Date of birthNovember 22, 1989
Place of birthShanghai, China
Height1.74 m (5 ft 8 1⁄2 in)
Playing positionMidfielder
Club information
Current team
Shanghai Shenhua
Number28
Youth career
2000-2005Genbao Football Academy
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
2006-2010Shanghai East Asia
2011-Shanghai Shenhua109(8)
National team‡
2007-2008China U-20
2009-China U-23
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 29 April 2015.

† Appearances (Goals).

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 30 October 2012

Cao Yunding (Chinese: 曹赟定 born November 22, 1989 in Shanghai) is a professional Chinese footballer who currently plays as a midfielder for Shanghai Shenhua in the Chinese Super League.

Club career

Cao Yunding started his football career with the Genbao Football Academy, where he graduated to their associated professional football club Shanghai East Asia in the 2006 league season. The recently formed football club played within the third tier and in his debut season he established himself as China's youngest ever professional goalscorer, aged 16 years and 242 days when he scored his first goal against Wuhan Yaqi in a league game on August 20, 2006, in a 4–1 victory.[1] By the following season, Cao would then be part of the team that won the division title and promotion to the second tier at the end of the 2007 league season.[2] Within the second tier, Cao played in sixteen league games and scored three goals as Shanghai East Asia finished sixth within the division at the end of the 2008 Chinese league one season.[3] In the 2009 Chinese league one season, the club would soon become genuine promotion candidates and Cao would play in twenty-two league games and score two goals as Shanghai East Asia finished fourth and narrowly missed out on promotion in the final game of the season.[4] Cao gained another twenty league games and scored two goals as he helped guide Shanghai East Asia to another fourth-place finish at the end of the 2010 Chinese league one season.[5]

By the beginning of the 2011 league season, Cao was already a Chinese U-23 player and would attract the interests of top-tier side Shanghai Shenhua who bought him on February 12, 2011 from Shanghai East Asia.[6] At his new club he made his debut on March 2, 2011, in a 2011 AFC Champions League game against Kashima Antlers, which ended in a 0-0 draw.[7] In the tournament Cao would play in a further four games as Shenhua were knocked out in the group stages, while in the league Cao made his league debut on April 10, against Liaoning Whowin F.C. in a 1-0 defeat.[8] As the season progressed, Cao gradually established himself as regular within the team and scored his first goal for the club in a 2011 Chinese FA Cup game against Yanbian Baekdu Tigers F.C. on September 21, as Shenhua won 1-0.[9] This was soon met with his first league goal for the club on September 24, when Cao scored against Jiangsu Sainty F.C. in a 3–2 defeat.[10]

Honours

Shanghai East Asia

References

  1. ↑ "中国曼联整风后创佳绩 主场重创武汉雅琪显年轻魅力". Sports.sina.com.cn. 2006-08-20. Retrieved 2012-04-09.
  2. ↑ "五分钟神奇逆转 徐根宝率东亚2比1胜四川乙级封王". Sports.sina.com.cn. 2007-11-25. Retrieved 2012-04-09.
  3. ↑ "积分-重庆冲超成功 毅腾负江苏不幸降级(11.15)". Sports.sohu.com. 2008-11-15. Retrieved 2012-04-09.
  4. ↑ "09中甲最终积分榜-辽宁夺冠南昌升超 四川降级". Sports.sohu.com. 2009-10-25. Retrieved 2012-04-09.
  5. ↑ "2010中甲积分榜：恒大夺冠成都亚军 延边进三甲". Sports.sohu.com. 2010-10-30. Retrieved 2012-04-09.
  6. ↑ "申花官方宣布曹赟定正式加盟 表现获认可". Espnstar.com.cn. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2012-04-09.
  7. ↑ "AFC CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 2011 MATCH SUMMARY". The-afc.com. 2011-03-02. Retrieved 2012-04-09.
  8. ↑ "Liaoning Whowin 1-0 Shanghai Shenhua". Soccerway.com. 2011-04-10. Retrieved 2012-04-09.
  9. ↑ "Shenhua 1-0 Yanbian: Shanghai through to CFA cup semi-final". Wildeastfootball.net. 2011-09-24. Retrieved 2012-04-09.
  10. ↑ "Jiangsu Shuntian 3-2 Shanghai Shenhua". Soccerway.com. 2011-09-24. Retrieved 2012-04-09.

External links