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Guangzhou sees red after losing in Western Sydney

WESTERN Sydney Wanderers beat Guangzhou Evergrande 1-0 in a first leg of the Asian Champions League quarter-finals which ended in chaos on Wednesday after the Asian champions had two players sent off in the last three minutes.

Guangzhou's Italy coach Marcello Lippi and his staff charged on to the pitch to remonstrate with Emirati referee Mohammed Abdulla Hassan Mohamed after midfielder Gao Lin had followed defender Zhang Linpeng in being dismissed.

Left back Antony Golec scored the winner on the hour mark but the scenes just before the final whistle, with players and coaches pushing and shoving in a crowd around the officials, might have more far-reaching repurcussions.

Playing midway through their off season, the A-League side gave no quarter in defence and got sharper the longer the match went on to run out worthy winners in front of a noisy crowd of 17,093 at Parramatta Stadium.

They had to ride their luck at times but Guangzhou's attack of former Italian internationals Alessandro Dimante and Alberto Gilardino and prolific Brazilian Elkeson failed to click.

The visitors started brightly and finished strongly but for all the goalmouth incident only three of the attempts on goal in the first half were on target.

Shannon Cole had the best of them in the 39th minute for Wanderers but, unmarked at the back post, steered his header well wide.

The Wanderers came out strongly in the second half with Labinot Haliti causing problems down the right flank and the lively Tomi Juric getting a shot on target which goalkeeper Zeng Chen got down well to cover.

After 60 minutes, Golec cut in from the left wing and, seeing the covering defender slip, hit a cross-shot from the edge of box which eluded Juric and Guangzhou goalkeeper Zeng and rolled into the net.

Guangzhou continued to create half chances at the other end but Lippi continued to look in vain for a moment of class from his expensively assembled strikeforce.

Zhang was dismissed for an elbow on Mark Bridge after 88 minutes and Gao followed two minutes later after being adjudged to have fouled Brazilian Saba.

The return leg takes place at the Tianhe Stadium in Guangzhou next Wednesday with the winners facing FC Seoul or Pohang Steelers, who meet an all-South Korean last eight tie, in the semi-finals.




 

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