Translation of the article content into English:
The four best players in the 2024 Chinese Super League (CSL) have been announced, with three of them being widely recognized as deserving, while one has sparked controversy among fans who question their selection. The fans are asking, "Why?"
In the 2024 season, Shanghai Port successfully defended their CSL championship title with a record of 25 wins, 3 draws, and 2 losses, accumulating 78 points. Wu Lei, who scored 34 goals for the team, was awarded both the Top Scorer and Best Player titles. Wu Lei's recognition as the best is well-deserved; he played in all 30 matches and scored 34 goals without a single penalty kick. Despite criticism from some quarters, Wu Lei remains the best player in Chinese football today.
Muskat took over Shanghai Port in his first year and led the team to retain their championship title. Some fans might argue that the team's strong lineup could have won with any coach, but Muskat's abilities cannot be overlooked; otherwise, the trophy might have gone to their neighbors, Shanghai Shenhua. Fans were so impressed with Muskat's leadership that they even hoped he could coach the national team. Muskat's recognition as the Best Coach of the 2024 CSL season is also well-deserved.
In the competition for the Best Young Player award, 21-year-old Hu He from Chengdu Rongcheng emerged as the winner. In the 2024 season, Hu He made a total of 16 appearances for Chengdu Rongcheng, starting in 9 matches, scoring 2 goals, and providing 1 assist. He was also selected for the national team and played in 3 World Cup qualifiers, starting in 2 of them. Fans believe that Hu He's recognition is also well-deserved.
However, the selection of the Best Goalkeeper has generated significant debate, with some fans suspecting that the Football Association may have deliberately chosen a controversial figure to generate attention. The Best Goalkeeper award for the 2024 season went to Wang Dalei of Shandong Taishan, who is the only one among the four best players to face fan criticism. Wang Dalei's selection as the best is indeed hard to accept, leading some fans to sarcastically ask, "What qualifies him for this honor?"
In the 2024 season, Shandong Taishan finished fifth with a record of 13 wins, 9 draws, and 8 losses, accumulating 48 points. Wang Dalei's goal was breached 40 times, including a match against Shanghai Shenhua where he conceded six goals. Although Wang Dalei secured his position as the national team's main goalkeeper due to Ivan's arrival, he also conceded seven goals in a match against Japan. Given such performances, it is natural for fans to feel that his selection as the best is hard to accept.
Bao Yaxiong of Shanghai Shenhua conceded half as many goals as Wang Dalei. As champions, Shanghai Port's goalkeeper Yan Junling conceded fewer goals than Wang Dalei by a quarter. Wang Guoming of Henan played a crucial role in the team's relegation survival, conceding only 13 goals in 18 appearances. Any of these three goalkeepers could have been on the list, so why was it given to Wang Dalei?