Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Buriram: A stoppage-time penalty from Dario Conca earned Guangzhou Evergrande a 2-1 win over Buriram United and sealed a place in the knockout phase of the AFC Champions League for the Chinese Super League side.
Conca, who was not expected to take any part in the match after receiving a nine-match ban from his club for publicly criticizing coach Lee Jang-soo following the 3-1 loss against Jeonbuk Motors on Matchday 5, slotted home after Brazilian Cleo (Cléverson Gabriel Córdova) had been upended in the penalty area.
The win secures Guangzhou's place in the Round of 16 as winners of Group H ahead of Kashiwa Reysol - who defeated Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors to also progress - and they will meet either Ulsan Hyundai or FC Tokyo in the next phase of the 2012 competition.
"We had to penalize him for his misconduct," said Lee about Conca following the win. "But we also had to include him on the roster as he is a crucial part of our team.
"We didn't tell our players what had happened in the other match, I just told them to be strong and not think about anything other than the game we were playing.
"Guangzhou are now representing the whole of China, not just Guangzhou, so I'm extremely happy to have been able to grab this win against Buriram United.
"In Group H it has been quite tough because all of the teams have been so competitive, so we are thankful for all the fans and supporters back in China and those here in Thailand.
"Starting from this moment, we are beginning a new adventure, fighting our way into the Round of 16."
After a goalless first half, Guangzhou went in front four minutes after the restart when Gao Lin laid the ball off to Conca and his return pass sent the Chinese international striker searing down the left. Gao then cut inside before sending a shot that beat goalkeeper Sivaruk Tedsungnoen at his near post.
Buriram, though, refused to roll over and, within eight minutes, Attaphol Buspakom's side had levelled the scores when Zheng Zhi's weak attempt to head the ball clear fell into the path of Suriya Domtaisong and he made no mistake.
The game looked set to end in stalemate despite near misses by Frank Acheampong and Sarif Sainui for the home side but, with seconds remaining, Cleo was bundled over in the box by Surat Sukha and Conca thumped his penalty down the middle of Sivaruk's goal, with the keeper unable to push the shot to safety.
The win not only guaranteed Guangzhou top spot in the group but also eliminated Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, last year's runners-up.
"I'm sorry we have failed in an important mission tonight but the players, coaches and staff have given their best," said a crestfallen Attaphol. "In the second half we had more attempts on goal but we just couldn't convert.
"We didn't pay any attention to what was happening in any other game. It's always our mission to win for the Buriram United fans, especially at home.
"The turning point was when we lost to Jeonbuk twice, once at home and once away. We suddenly felt the pressure then to bounce back and reclaim out points."
Photo: WSG