AFC Champions League: Guangzhou Evergrande staring at early exit, Shanghai SIPG ship four to Sydney
- Fans call for Fabio Cannavaro to be sacked after limp 1-1 draw with Suwon Samsung Bluewings leaves qualification out of their hands
- Vitor Pereira’s side lose 4-0 to A-League outfit after Yokohama win sees them into second stage
A strange day for Chinese Super League clubs in the AFC Champions League in Qatar saw two-time tournament winners Guangzhou Evergrande on the brink of being knocked out in the group stage and Shanghai SIPG beaten 4-0 by winless Sydney FC.
Fabio Cannavaro’s Evergrande side, who are in the only three-team group following Malaysian champions JDT not being allowed to travel to the AFC’s bubble in Doha, drew 1-1 with South Korea’s Suwon Samsung Bluewings on Tuesday night.
The result means that their progress to the knockout stage is out of their hands and rests on Suwon’s game against the already qualified Vissel Kobe. A win for the K-League side could see them progress at Evergrande’s expense via goal difference.
Fans took their anger to the club’s official Weibo account, calling for Cannavaro to be sacked after a disappointing season domestically and in the AFC Champions League.
The perennial champions of China finished second to Jiangsu Suning this season, in a format much altered by the CSL’s reaction to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Failing to qualify would be a disaster for the champions of Asia in 2013 and 2015, although they did not help themselves in their final group game.
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Suwon had the better of a goalless first half and drew first blood seven minutes after the restart, with Lim Sang-hyeob putting past Liu Dianzuo after the Guangzhou goalkeeper saved a Lee Ki-je free kick.
Cannavaro’s side responded and were level 15 minutes later through Wei Shihao, who finished off a through-ball from China international teammate Elkeson.
However, a second yellow card saw Zhong Yihao dismissed just two minutes later and they had to see the game out with 10 players. They held on but it is no longer in their hands – and if Suwon win by two goals then Evergrande are out.
Shanghai SIPG are through and they knew this going into Tuesday’s meeting with AFC Sydney, who were yet to win in this season’s group stage.
Yokohama F Marinos’ 4-1 win over K-League champions Jyeonbuk Hyundai Motors had ensured SIPG’s safe passage and Vitor Pereira’s side appeared to let their foot off the gas.
What resulted was the A-League side’s record AFC Champions League win with first-half goals from Alex Wilkson and Luke Brattan before a second-half double from Trent Buhagiar.
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SIPG had 20 shots to Sydney’s 11 but failed to beat sub goalkeeper Tom Heward-Belle, who came on after teen starter Adam Pavelsic was stretchered off early in the game.
The CSL side now need to beat Jeonbuk and hope it is this version of Sydney that plays Yokohama on Friday to top the group.
