Guangzhou retains title in Lippi’s last match
Print Edition
GUANGZHOU Evergrande gave a winning farewell to departing coach Marcello Lippi whose side held Shandong Luneng to a 1-1 draw in the last round of the Chinese Super League match in Jinan yesterday to secure a point and become the first team to win four straight top league titles in China’s professional soccer era.
Evergrande has said Lippi will no longer coach the team next season but the Italian will stay on with the club as a technical director. Guangzhou media reported that the club was already in touch with another Italian and may announce a new coach as early as next week.
Guangzhou held a three-point advantage going into the final match over second placed Beijing Guo’an. Guangzhou needed just a draw to retain the title.
Shandong scored first in the 12th minute but the 2013 Asian champion found the equalizer in the first half itself with the ever-dependable Brazilian striker Elkeson scoring a beauty from just outside the box.
Elkeson also set a new record after scoring 28 goals to become the top scorer in the 2014 Chinese Super League.
Beijing Guo’an could only manage a goalless draw against Henan Jianye and finished second with 67 points. It had beaten Evergrande in Guangzhou in the previous round to take the championship to the wire.
The one point was good enough for Henan to remain in the 16-team CSL next season, finishing 14th with 30 points. Dalian Aerbin, drew 1-1 at Shanghai Shenxin and was relegated along with Harbin Yiteng.
Dalian, once a dominant force in Chinese soccer, will be out of the top-tier for the first time in two decades. Guangzhou R&F was third with 57 points, followed by Shandong Luneng on 48. Shanghai East Asia was fifth on 48 after being held 3-3 by Tianjin Teda. Shanghai Shenhua was ninth with 35 and Shenxin 11th with 33.
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