BEIJING, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- Shanghai Shenhua striker Zhu Jianrong expressed gratitude to Dalian by eschewing a goal celebration in his side's 2-1 win over the hosts on Thursday, said a Shanghai club official.
Zhu came off the bench in the 80th minute to score a brace in just three minutes, helping Shanghai Shenhua come back from one goal down to a win.
On each occasion he scored, the striker did not celebrate, to the puzzlement of fans.
"Zhu is a Qingdao native and hasn't played for Dalian in his career. It's puzzling to some people that he chose not to celebrate after scoring goals," said Shanghai Shenhua press official Ma Yue.
"Indeed, Zhu Jianrong had planned for that before the match," Ma added. "He wanted to show gratitude to the city of Dalian."
Ma said the Shanghai team were impressed by Dalian's timely help when they were struggling to find a suitable home venue before the season started.
"It is Dalian city that accepted us, and provided us with a quarantine place and home venue. Their meticulous service made it possible for us to prepare for the season without stress," Ma said. ■
