Last-gasp Luneng puts Evergrande celebration on ice
Print Edition
A CONTROVERSIAL last-minute goal by Shandong Luneng denied Guangzhou Evergrande the chance to raise the 2015 Chinese Super League trophy in front of its home fans yesterday, with a round still to play.
The visitors’ goal in injury time, which had a hint of offside, meant the match ended 2-2 at the packed Guangzhou Tianhe Sports Center.
Luiz Felipe Scolari’s team led the standing with a four-point advantage over Shanghai SIPG before the second-last round of CSL matches. A victory would have seen Guangzhou make history as the only team to claim five titles in a row in Chinese football’s top-tier league. It still holds the initiative, however, taking on Beijing Guo’an in the last round. A draw would see it secure the championship.
Facing fourth-placed Shandong, the defending champion had a dream start when Brazilian midfielder Ricardo Goulart scored the opener in a one-on-one chance against Wang Dalei, a former Shanghai Shenhua goalkeeper.
The visitors equalized in the 60th minute when Argentine midfielder Walter Montillo’s curved in a direct free kick.
Evergrande’s Brazilian striker Elkeson lit up the stadium with ten minutes left on the clock, beating two defenders to send the ball past Wang. However, a controversial goal by Han Peng in the last minute silenced the home crowd.
Scolari was obviously not happy with the result, shouting towards the referees at the final whistle. “It was an exciting and fierce match, but things we don’t want to see often happen in such games,” he said in a post-match press conference. “The referee is a good one, who runs a lot on the pitch. I don’t agree with his judgment, but I respect him.”
The result was good news for Sven-Goran Eriksson’s SIPG, whose match against Changchun Yatai ended a few minutes before Shandong’s equalizer.
SIPG lost key points in the title hunt after drawing 2-2 with Shijiazhuang Yongchang in the previous round. But its 2-0 victory, courtesy of a Wu Lei brace, over Changchun yesterday, meant it now has 62 points — two points less than Evergrande but six more than third-placed Beijing and Shandong. Beijing lost 0-4 to Tianjin Teda 0-4 yesterday.
SIPG will meet Liaoning Whowin in Shanghai on Saturday. Liaoning beat another Shanghai team Greenland Shenhua 1-0 yesterday, with Yang Chaosheng scoring, which ensured the 11th-placed team stayed in the CSL next season.
Shenhua, which is seventh in the CSL on 39 points, is now more focused on the CFA Cup, where it will take on Jiangsu Sainty in a two-match final next month. Interestingly, Shenhua’s opponent in the season’s last CSL match on Saturday is also eighth-placed Jiangsu.
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