Guangzhou Evergrande retain China Super Cup after blistering strike from Alan

啊A second sensational strike in two games from Alan was enough for Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao to win the Super Cup against Jiangsu Suning as the new Chinese season got underway.

The Brazilian winger scored a terrific long-range effort against Hong Kong’s Eastern in the Champions League on Wednesday, and topped it with an even better one against Jiangsu in Chongqing to make the difference between the two sides.

Last season’s second-highest CSL scorer, behind teammate Ricardo Goulart, fired an unstoppable dipping strike into the top corner in the 35th minute as Guangzhou became the first team to retain the Super Cup.

“It was a close match. Both teams had winning chances. Maybe we did better to seize the opportunity,” coach Luiz Felipe Scolari was quoted as saying by state media. “I think this match could be regarded as a Chinese football derby.”

Scolari has now won six trophies since coming to China, one more than predecessor Marcello Lippi, but insisted: “I don’t like being compared with anybody. I hope I can win more and more champions for Guangzhou. Today’s victory proves that Guangzhou has made a right decision in inviting me.”

Evergrande chairman Hui Ka-yan demanded before the season that Guangzhou win all four competitions they are involved in this season – Super Cup, League, Cup, and Champions League.

“We were at a disadvantage in midfield today,” said Choi Yong-soo after his Jiangsu team lost their third final in a row to Guangzhou after last season’s CFA Cup and Super Cup.

“The game is over, and we have to move on as we have an AFC Champions League match three days later.

“But we will never give up. I think we have chances to beat Guangzhou either in the Chinese Super League or CFA Cup in 2017.”