Evergrande seals record seventh CSL title
Guangzhou Evergrande’s remarkable title-winning run in the Chinese Super League continued on Sunday when Luiz Felipe Scolari’s side pounded Guizhou Hengfeng Zhicheng 5-1, giving it a record seventh consecutive crown.
The victory, coupled with Shanghai SIPG’s 2-1 loss to Guangzhou R&F, ensured Evergrande claimed the title with two matches remaining in the 30-game season as Scolari collected his third Chinese Super League championship.
The Brazilian, who is expected to leave Guangzhou when his contract expires at the end of November, joins Marcello Lippi as a three-time winner of the Chinese title.
Under the 68-year-old Scolari, who took over from Fabio Cannavaro in 2015, Guangzhou has cemented its status as the best team in China.
It went out of the Asian Champions League in the quarterfinals to domestic rival Shanghai SIPG, but has once more dominated the CSL.
Guangzhou sputtered a bit when Brazilian international Paulinho left for Barcelona in August, but Andre Villas-Boas’s Shanghai — the nearest challengers in the CSL — failed to take advantage.
Scolari was missing from the sidelines on Sunday as he began a three-match ban for questioning refereeing decisions. His assistant, Paulo Turra, said: “This year has been the most difficult year, we’ve had lots of ups and downs.
“In the end, we have won the title and it is a great thing that deserves congratulations.
“Among the biggest leagues in the world, there are probably only two teams that have won a league seven years in a row and they are (Ligue 1 side) Lyon and Evergrande. Chinese fans should be proud of that.
“The success should be attributed to the owner and the club first, then the management team and the best home stadium in Asia, including all the fans who follow us for our away games. I also want to thank the head coach.”
Guangzhou made a rapid start to the game and goals from Gao Lin and Alan Carvalho had the two-time Asian champion two goals up inside 17 minutes.
Although Wang Fan pulled one back for Guizhou just before the half-hour mark, Evergrande padded its lead in the second half.
Du Wei’s own goal restored Guangzhou’s two-goal cushion before further tallies by Yu Hanchao and Muriqui ensured the celebrations could begin in earnest at the Tianhe Stadium.
Guangzhou is now nine points clear of SIPG with two games remaining after VillasBoas’ team slipped to a defeat against Guangzhou R&F.
Jiang Jihong put R&F in front with five minutes on the clock before Eran Zahavi claimed his 25th goal of the season four minutes into the second half for Dragan Stojkovic’s team.
Hulk pulled one back on the hour mark but it was not enough to lift SIPG, which is guaranteed to finish second and join Guangzhou in next year’s Asian Champions League.
Shandong Luneng’s 3-1 win over Liaoning Whowin on Friday improved the chances of Felix Magath’s team to finish in the top three and qualify for the continental championship while condemning Liaoning to life in the second division next term.
It will be joined there by Yanbian Funde, which is destined to finish in the bottom two after losing 2-1 to Henan Jianye after Tianjin Teda beat Beijing Guo’an 2-0.
Tianjin Quanjian strengthened its Asian Champions League hopes with a 2-1 win over third-placed Hebei CFFC.
Shanghai Shenhua was held to a 1-1 draw by Chongqing Lifan and Changchun Yatai defeated Jiangsu Suning 3-1.