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Tempers flare as Evergrande into ACL semifinals
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LUIZ Felipe Scolari’s Guangzhou Evergrande scrapped its way into the AFC Champions League semifinals as it fought out a bad-tempered 1-1 draw for a 4-2 aggregate win over Kashiwa Reysol yesterday.
Huang Bowen’s sumptuous first-half equalizer provided a rare moment of quality at Tianhe Sport Center Stadium in Guangzhou, south China’s Guangdong Province, with the second period more notable for robust challenges and yellow cards.
Chelsea-linked defender Zhang Linpeng was lucky to stay on the pitch after he went in two-footed on Ryosuke Yamanaka, and Feng Xiaoting and Kim Young-gwon also saw yellow.
Scolari, who arrived in June, will be keen to secure the wealthy Chinese club’s second Asian title just a year after his World Cup flop on home soil with his native Brazil.
The no-nonsense coach earned a reputation for his uncompromising style after a series of pitchside bust-ups while coaching league football in his home country.
It showed a different side to Guangzhou, usually better known for the sort of free-flowing attack which earned it a 3-1 win in Kashiwa, Japan, in last month’s first leg.
The Japanese side walked out at Tianhe Stadium with much ground to make up, but it got a lifeline on 12 minutes when Cristiano nodded the visitors in front.
The Brazilian forward climbed in the penalty box to meet a free-kick from close to the right touchline, and planted an unstoppable header into the far corner.
With the aggregate score at 3-2, the early goal stung the Chinese league leader but Huang restored its cushion with a beautiful half-volley on the half-hour.
Receiving the ball on the edge of the box, the Chinese international swept it home left-footed with a shot which rocketed straight into the top corner.
But despite a team peppered with Brazilian talent, that was to be the only score for Guangzhou, which now plays either South Korea’s Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors or Gamba Osaka of Japan in the two-legged semifinal. The two teams, who meet in Japan today, played out a scoreless draw in the opening leg.
Guangzhou is bidding to win the AFC Champions League for the second time after triumphing in 2013, under the guidance of veteran Italian manager Marcello Lippi. The defending Chinese Super League champion took over top spot in the league from Sven Goran-Eriksson’s Shanghai SIPG following a 3-0 romp at the weekend, with a trio of Brazilians Robinho, Ricardo Goulart and Elkeson on target.
In West Asia, Saudi Arabia’s al-Hilal led Qatari champion Lekhwiya 4-1 heading into their quarterfinal yesterday.
The last quarterfinal takes place today between Iran’s Naft Tehran and al-Ahli of the United Arab Emirates. Al-Ahli secured a 1-0 victory in the first leg.
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