AFC Champions League Round Review (Final)

It was a fitting showpiece event to end what has been another gripping AFC Champions League (ACL) campaign as Guangzhou Evergrande clinched their second title in three years with a tight 1-0 aggregate win over Al-Ahli Dubai. By no means was this a classic end to end encounter with chances galore, however the tactical battle was perfectly poised only to be ended with one example of sublime skill to seal the trophy for the South Eastern Tigers in their home stadium. Time for a look back at the winners from 2015’s ACL final.

The Player

Guangzhou Evergrande are famed for their recruitment of Brazilian talent, this mainly to do with the efficiency in their purchases. Once again three were on show, arguably the top three imports in the competition; midfield general Paulinho, who’s impact since his purchase half way through the season proved instrumental in his side’s late season push for trophies, Ricardo Goulart, ACL golden boot winner and the key difference in the early stages, whilst not forgetting club legend Elkeson who went on to score in his third final match in four thus culminating a year of woe in the best possible fashion.

The little Brazilian ball of energy is used to getting things his own way in Asia, since his move from Botafogo three years ago he’s averaged nearly a goal a game, while ensuring at the very least a starting role in the Guangzhou attack. Those days seemed a long time ago however this year, after falling foul to injury after injury, with every comeback plagued with rusty form which seen him regularly benched. This particularly was the case under Scolari, usually working in direct competition with Gao Lin for the lone striker role, often being hauled off at half time in some of his forgetful displays in the Chinese Super League.

In the final however, he was given his chance and he took it. He proved a handful out in Dubai, looking the liveliest of any player on the pitch as he disrupted the back four on a number of occasions. However, it’s for his goal back in Guangzhou that will keep him living long in the memory. Instinctively turning with his back to goal, flicking through Zheng Long’s pass through the legs of Salmin Khamis before predatory poking home. It was a wondrous goal fitting to win any match, but yet again this was Elkeson and this was different. Like he did two years ago in the same stadium, the lively Brazilian clinched Guangzhou another continental title in stunning style.

The Team

The rapid rise of Guangzhou Evergrande into a continental superpower will have its lovers and its haters, but the fact since promotion from China League One, they’ve collected five successive Chinese Super League titles, competed at least up until the quarter finals of every ACL campaign they have been in, as well as clinching their second continental title last week. Guangzhou have now drawn level with Al-Ittihad as the most successful ACL team of all time, and move within one title of Pohang Steelers in elite Asian Club Championships. It’s a rising tide that looks unlikely to abate, given the massive impact Luiz Felipe Scolari has had in his few months in charge.

There lies Guangzhou’s strength, being its management selection. People will point to the short spell of Fabio Cannavaro at the beginning of the year as a mistake, however his record remained solid, he continued to gel the team and rarely shifted from the club’s vision. That vision being of harmony between their overseas recruits and the broadly Chinese home base of players. Every manager from Lippi to Scolari has appreciated this, often preferring less recognisable home based players over the big name imports, a great example being Robinho this year, effectively frozen out by Scolari as the season culminated.

Many will point at Guangzhou’s excessive spending, which can’t be argued against. However, it’s been resolutely spent on a team full of Chinese players, rather than throwing their cash all over the continent. Saturday’s final saw three Brazilians and one Korean line up for Guangzhou, they weren’t carried by mercenaries by any means they were brought together as a tight unit. Team’s looking to emulate Evergrande’s success will immediately think a big signing or two from Europe or South America is the quick fix they need to stardom, but the work behind the scenes both with management and general club philosophy is the real success driven force.

The Talking Point

Guangzhou Evergrande’s success recorded East Asia their fourth ACL success in a row, and their 9th in the last decade, only Al-Sadd of Qatar have been able to relinquish the grasp that the East over that period. While of late their only interaction has been at the finals stage, the East is clearly usurping the West, which also can be found on the international scene; 3 of the 4 World Cup 2014 entrants were from East Asia, both finalists at January’s Asian Cup, also while only 5 of the 16 entrants for the Asian Cup hailed from the region, 4 made it to the quarters. Is this a trend that threatens to be taken forward or is will there be any change to the balance?

When speaking to Hamoudi from Middle Eastern football website Ahdaaf.me, he speaks of countless reasons why the West is faltering, he cites the lack of long term planning, lack of tactical awareness and inability to succeed on two fronts. Alongside the calendar which does favour February-November seasons over a typically Western August-May. While this may have been a factor once the draw was freed up in terms of region locality in the past, recent editions of the ACL have seen neither Western/Eastern sides face each other until the final.

Whatever happens behind the scenes, it’s safe to say the two teams making the final are both in good form, so why the clear divide? Guangzhou Evergrande this year were clear favourites, added to by the favourable home/away draw, however last year’s final between Western Sydney Wanderers and Al-Hilal favoured the West, with an unpredictable victor. The only factor I can derive is that West Asian sides have to change their game more than Eastern sides have to when they face up against each other. The overly physical Western game seems to be muted, a lot less frantic in transition in favour of a slower technical passing Eastern game. Time will tell if 2016 follows down a similar path.