Goulart secures epic win for Guangzhou
SYDNEY: A hat-trick from record signing Ricardo Goulart held off strong-finishing defending champions Western Sydney Wanderers and gave Guangzhou Evergrande a 3-2 win in the AFC Champions League yesterday.
Goulart was the difference for new boss Fabio Cannavaro’s big-spending Chinese Super League champions, who looked set for a comfortable win with a 3-1 lead and 25 minutes left in Sydney.
But a lengthy delay to treat stricken goalkeeper Zeng Cheng added 17 minutes’ stoppage time to the game and gave the home side a chance to hit back.
A goal in stoppage time by Dutch substitute Romeo Castelen gave the Wanderers a chance to snatch a last-ditch draw. But the tiring Guangzhou players hung on for a significant away victory to keep them unbeaten and at the top of the Group H standings.
It was only the Wanderers’ second loss at home in the ACL, following their 1-3 defeat to South Korea’s Ulsan Hyundai in last year’s championship season.
Goulart put Guangzhou Evergrande ahead in the 19th minute after neat leadup work from fellow Brazilian Elkeson and Gao Lin.
Goulart, who scored the winner for the 2013 ACL champions last week over FC Seoul, drilled home after Elkeson’s back header and a pass from Gao.
There was lingering feeling from the last time the two teams met in a 2-1 Wanderers win in Sydney in the quarter-finals last year.
Iacopo La Rocca made a heavy challenge on Zou Zheng, who fell to the ground clutching his ankle.
La Rocca equalised for the home side 12 minutes after the resumption with a near-post header off a corner, but within a minute Goulart put Guangzhou back in front with his second goal.
Goulart’s slick finish off Gao Lin’s cross punished Wanderers for a lack of concentration immediately after their equaliser.
Wanderers paid for more slack defending when Gao’s cross was only played into the path of Goulart, who rammed home for his hat-trick on 65 minutes.
Guangzhou lost goalkeeper Zeng Cheng after a sickening head clash with South Korean teammate Kim Young-Gwon, and there was a delay of 15 minutes before Cheng was stretchered off the field in a neck brace. He was later reported to have suffered a broken cheekbone.
The match spilt over into extended stoppage time because of the Cheng injury delay. Castelen pulled a goal back in the fourth minute of stoppage time with a free header inside the box to fire up the home supporters.
But Guangzhou held firm to stay unbeaten in the Asian competition.