SIPG extend lead with home win
Evergrande boss Cannavaro remains confident
Guangzhou Evergrande coach Fabio Cannavaro remains adamant that they will be the eventual winners of the Chinese Super League (CSL) title – despite a 2-1 loss to fellow contenders Shanghai SIPG on Tuesday that extended the gap between the two to four points with eight rounds remaining.
A mediocre start to the season left the seven-time consecutive CSL winners trailing at fifth and fourth for the bulk of the campaign, and the job of Cannavaro, who took over the team in November, is already under severe scrutiny.
Midfield duo Brazilian Paulinho, who returned from Barcelona, and Portugal’s Anderson Talisca, who joined from Benfica, powered the team back to winning form. Nine wins in 10 matches drove them back into the title race before Tuesday.
On Friday, a 1-0 victory at home to Beijing Guoan, who had been leading the league for 10 rounds, reignited Evergrande’s title hopes. They were just one point behind leaders SIPG heading into Tuesday’s clash, and a win would have ensured them leapfrogging the Shanghai outfit into the top slot for the first time.
Despite the four-point gap, Cannavaro insists Evergrande are just one point behind SIPG.
“I told my players the gap between the two teams is not four points, but just one,” the former Ballon d’Or winner told reporters in a post-match press conference.
When asked if that means he’s confident they will win their home game against SIPG in November, the Italian said, “It is your right how to interpret the meaning of that, but I believe the gap is just one point based on the process of today’s match.”
When asked to comment on his counterpart’s words, SIPG coach Vitor Pereira replied, “That’s the view of the opponents’ coach and you need to ask him.”
SIPG striker Wu Lei opened the scoring just 48 seconds after kickoff. The China striker scored his 21st league goal of the season, and 96th overall, tying former China star Hao Haidong for second in the alltime Chinese top-flight scoring record. Only Li Jinyu has scored more (119).
Evergrande did score three times before halftime, but all were ruled out by referee Viktor Kassai after consulting the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system. The Chinese FA invited the Hungarian, who officiated the 2010 World Cup quarterfinal between Spain and Germany as well as the 2011 European Champions League final between Barcelona and Manchester United, to referee this heavyweight match which could virtually determine the final winners of the CSL.
Kassai also ruled out Wu’s second goal in the 65th minute after the intervention of VAR, which would have restored SIPG’s lead 10 minutes after Paulinho headed in the equalizer.
Former Evergrande striker Elkeson scored the winner for SIPG in the 72nd minute.
Cannavaro was coy about the cancellation of three of his side’s goals by VAR.
“I’m not criticizing the use of VAR as I don’t want to be punished,” he told reporters. “The VAR is a high-technology assistance to football, but we have to make good use of it.
“You have to make everyone quite clear about the timing of the VAR intervention.”