Unstoppable Evergrande blow away Kashiwa
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E-mail China.org.cn, September 26, 2013
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Guangzhou Evergrande striker Elkeson heading the ball. |
Guangzhou Evergrande will take commanding cushions into the second leg of their AFC Champions League semi-final after impressive result away to Kashiwa Reysol.
Marcello Lippi's side fought back after conceding an early goal to floor Kashiwa Reysol 4-1 and put one foot in the AFC Champions League final.
Cleo, who is on loan from Guangzhou, was credited with giving Kashiwa the lead after just 10 minutes following a free kick by Jorge Wagner but four second-half strikes put the Chinese champions side firmly on top.
Kashiwa was quick to get on the scoresheet and it was a soft one as Jorge Wagner's diagonal free-kick floated in and bounced into the net after a slight touch from the head of Cleo.
Evergrande could have drawn level when Muriqui saw his looping shot denied by the upright, before Reysol's Junya Tanaka forced Zeng Cheng into a fine save before half-time.
Guangzhou, as expected, pressed hard after the interval and their efforts paid off on the stroke of the hour. Sun Xiang's cross from the left was poorly dealt with by the Kashiwa defense and the Brazilian made no mistake this time as he thumped his shot into the roof of the net.
The goal spurred the visitors into action, with Conca putting Guangzhou ahead with a fizzing 20-yard drive and Kim Chang-Soo turning the ball into his own net under pressure from Elkeson to make it 3-1.
Kashiwa's hopes were all but buried a minute into injury time when Muriqui slid the ball in from the left to earn Guangzhou what could be an unassailable advantage and ensure they become the first Chinese side to reach the final of the continental club championship since Dalian Wanda in 1998.
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