File picture of Guangzhou Evergrande’s coach Marcello Lippi. He had to suffer his team’s exit from the stands having been banned for confronting a referee.
Western Sydney Wanderers delivered a seismic shock yesterday when they sent title-holders and hot tournament favourites Guangzhou Evergrande crashing out of the AFC Champions League.
The Australian debutants survived despite losing the quarter-final’s second leg 2-1, as they went through on away goals following last week’s 1-0 upset win in Sydney.
The surprise victory means Tony Popovic’s side become only the second Australian team to reach the AFC Champions League semi-finals, after Adelaide United in 2008.
Guangzhou’s World Cup-winning coach Marcello Lippi, banished to the stands after angrily confronting last week’s referee, sat with a lit cigar as his title defence went up in smoke.
The Wanderers will next face last year’s runners-up FC Seoul, whose goalkeeper Yu Sang-Hun saved three penalties in a dramatic shoot-out to deny Korean rivals Pohang Steelers.
Guangzhou were a weakened side, missing three players through suspension as well as Italian maestro Lippi, who was punished for his angry reaction after two late red cards in Sydney.
But Italian forward Alberto Gilardino came within inches for the Chinese champions when his cushioned near-post volley rebounded off the crossbar from a tight angle.
Elkeson should have levelled the tie at 1-1 on aggregate after he was sent crashing the penalty area by Western Sydney’s Iacopo La Rocca.
However, the big Brazilian’s soft penalty was parried by Wanderers goalkeeper Ante Covic, who dived the right way to keep the visitors in front.
The mood was darkening at Tianhe stadium and it became bleak when home goalkeeper Zeng Cheng up-ended Mark Bridge, and Tomi Juric coolly slotted the penalty on 57 minutes.
But Guangzhou’s response came swiftly and just four minutes later, Gilardino’s knock-down was smashed home by his compatriot Alessandro Diamanti to make it 1-1 on the night.
Guangzhou poured forward but Gilardino, Elkeson and Dong Xuesheng all let good opportunities slip as the champions’ title defence ebbed away.
Elkeson finally hit the net a minute into injury time but there was to be no fairytale comeback for the financially well-endowed team tagged “the Manchester United of Asia”.
Seoul keeper the hero
In the other match yesterday, FC Seoul goalkeeper Yu Shang-hun saved all three penalties in a shootout as they beat K-League Classic rivals Pohang Steelers 3-0 to reach the AFC Champions League semi-finals.
Yu barely broke sweat in 120 minutes without any goals at the Seoul World Cup Stadium, following a similar goalless first leg, but the gangly keeper burst into life in the shootout.
He palmed away spot kicks from Hwang Ji-Soo and Kim Jae-Sung as Seoul went 2-0 up through Brazilian Everton Santos, brought on at the end of extra time, and Spanish defender Osmar Barba.
Seoul captain Kim Jin-kyu then missed his side’s third kick but his keeper again came to the rescue, diving to his left to block a tame effort from Park Hee-chul.
That allowed Colombian forward Mauricio Molina to step up and fire the winning penalty as last year’s runners-up advanced to another semi.
They will have to find a way to reignite their attacking play if they want to beat Western Sydney Wanderers of Australia in the last four after showing hardly any threat in a dour and defensive clash with the Korean champions.
Seoul coach Choi Yong-soo surprisingly opted to leave strike trio Everton, Molina and Japanese Sergio Escudero on the bench and kept 10 men behind the ball for most of the match.
Results - Second Leg
In Seoul
AET - FC Seoul (KOR) 0 Pohang Steelers (KOR) 0
1st leg 0-0
FC Seoul win 3-0 on penalties
In Guangzhou
Guangzhou Evergrande (CHN) 2 (Diamanti 61, Elkeson 90+1) Western Sydney Wanderers (AUS) 1 (Juric 57-pen)
1st leg 0-1
Western Sydney Wanderers win on away goals rule