China against China. The almanac states its case, the crowd votes, you decide.
China · 1979–87 · CAM
They called him the Weatherfish, for the way he wriggled out of corners where there was no room left, and in 1987 he carried that to Darmstadt 98 and 107 league games across five seasons in the 2. Bundesliga. Runner-up at the 1984 Asian Cup and third in 1980, AFC All-Star in 1985, a Chinese league title with Guangdong in 1979, and 50 caps with 12 goals. Career record: 7 caps for China; club career at Guangdong Hongyuan, TuS Koblenz, SV Darmstadt 98.
China · 1996–2015 · RB
On 26 October 2002 at Birmingham, Sun rose to head Manchester City in front after 24 minutes, the first goal an East Asian player had scored in the Premier League. Four Chinese league titles with Dalian between 1996 and 2001, the 2001 FA Cup, 130 appearances for Manchester City, 80 caps, the 2002 World Cup and a runners-up medal at the 2004 Asian Cup preceded his induction into English football's Hall of Fame in 2015. Career record: 80 caps and 1 goals for China; club career at Dalian Shide, Manchester City, Guizhou Renhe.
The almanac puts Sun Jihai ahead by 2 rating points, 84 against 82.
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