2011 Aug 02 View From Gongti: Beijing Guoan 1-1 Guangzhou Evergrande
It could be said that the 2011 CSL season came down to last night's match between Beijing and Guangzhou. The Beijingers went into the match 9 points behind Guangzhou with 13 games remaining, a daunting deficit to make up. Unfortunately, a 1-1 draw means they didn’t make up any ground. The fans of both sides made it a special atmosphere: Close to 55,000 Guoan supporters showed up clad in green, with around 200 Guangzhou supporters making the long trip north for this one.
The first half came and went without much more than a couple half-chances for either side. Guangzhou kept the ball for much of the half, but Guoan still looked the better side. This continued in the second half when manager Jamie Pacheco made some tactical changes in an attempt to grab all 3 points.
However, it was Guangzhou who first got on the scoreboard when the ball ended up on the foot of striker Gao Lin,whose shot just made it past keeper Yang Zhi shortly after the hour mark. Guoan didn’t give up and continued pushing forward, finally earning the equalizer in the 75th minute after a corner kick that Walter Martinez headed in.
A number of times it looked like the Beijingers were going to get the winner, but it was not meant to be. Guangzhou’s USD 10 million man, Conca, was a non-factor and made a fool of himself wasting time late in the match. A tough result for Beijing, and an uphill battle the rest of the way. Catch them next at Gongti on August 13 when they host relegation zone side Nanchang.
Read Brandon's full match report at WildEastFootball.
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