Guangzhou: Luiz Felipe Scolari’s enthusiastic celebrations following Ricardo Goulart’s second goal against Suwon Samsung Bluewings betrayed the Brazilian’s true feelings as Guangzhou Evergrande’s 2017 AFC Champions League was salvaged by his compatriot once again.
There was relief as well as jubilation for the World Cup winning coach because the two-time champions have looked anything but invincible this season, with their wins over Eastern from Hong Kong the only time Guangzhou have picked up all three points from a game in this year’s competition.
Energetic Goulart spares Guangzhou
Guangzhou Evergrande were seeking to avoid elimination from the group phase of the AFC Champions League for the second year in a row after falling at his hurdle as defending champions last year.
After Yeom Ki-hun had given Suwon an early lead, it was Goulart’s two goals that safeguarded Guangzhou’s status in the competition this year, the first an equaliser while the second to give Evergrande – who needed a draw to progress – the breathing space they needed.
Having that insurance paid off as Kim Jong-woo levelled for Suwon 10 minutes from time, but Goulart’s goals masked another faltering display from a Guangzhou team that rarely goes without conceding a goal.
Veteran Yeom still the key for Suwon
Goulart’s overall display – another energetic performance that saw him involved in every aspect of the game – earned him the Tsing Tao Man of the Match award, but Suwon’s Yeom showed he remains a considerable talent despite not being able to stop his side’s slide out of the competition.
A winner of the AFC Champions League early in his career when Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors claimed the title in 2006, Yeom was a thorn in Guangzhou’s side, particularly in the early stages of the game.
The 34-year-old set Kim Min-woo for a goal-scoring opportunity in the eighth minute, only for Zeng Cheng to palm the ball to safety, while a minute later Yeom claimed his second goal in three games to put Suwon in front.
Another opportunity four minutes into the second half saw Yeom force Zeng into action again as the goalkeeper prevented Suwon from retaking the lead with a chance the former Korea Republic international created by himself out of nothing.
Guangzhou continue to falter in front of goal
With the exception of their two large-margin wins over Eastern, Guangzhou have struggled to score in this year’s AFC Champions League, displaying form that is similar to last season, when they crashed out at the end of the group phase.
Five goals scored and five conceded in their four non-Eastern matches is a poor return for a team that has one of the most expensively assembled squads in Asia. Across six games in 2016, Guangzhou scored six and conceded five and their total of eight points total saw them finish third in their group.
Guangzhou were spared the embarrassment of missing out for a second season in a row, but there are signs Scolari has yet to address some of the issues that surfaced last year.
The six-time Chinese Super League champions have a chance conversion rate of a shade over 20 percent, highlighting that, while creating opportunities is not a problem for the former champions, they need to be more ruthless in front of goal.
Those figures are better than last year – when Guangzhou converted a paltry eight percent of their goal scoring opportunities – but they still fall short of the level required to challenge for the title.
Photo: Lagardère Sports
Source: the-afc.com