Evergrande keep Asian hopes alive with their first win in AFC Champions League
Brazilian coach Luiz Felipe Scolari breathes a sigh of relief as his team finally put points on the board but they are still in a precarious position in group H
Guangzhou Evergrande kept their stumbling AFC Champions League title defence alive with a deserved 2-0 win over Pohang Steelers on Tuesday – their first victory of the competition.
Chinese international striker Gao Lin set up the first goal and scored the second as Luiz Felipe Scolari’s side finally got a win at the fifth attempt in group H.
But the well-heeled Chinese domestic champions are still relying on Sydney FC beating Japan’s Urawa Red Diamonds on Wednesday if they are to stay in the competition.
The win for Evergrande, the leading light of cashed-up China’s football revolution, was their first in the Asian tournament since they won their second title in three years last November.
“It was not an easy game but we played well, defended well and we had chances to score more goals than they did,” said Guangzhou coach Scolari. “As far as reaching the Round of 16 is concerned, we can focus only on what we can control and tonight we did a good job and we will keep on doing so.