Guoan eases past Chonburi & into the ACL

Asian Champions League Qualifying
Beijing Guoan 4-0 Chonburi FC
Guerron 1′,11′, Utaka 18′, Shao 89′
Attendance: 21,055

Beijing’s one-two punch of Peter Utaka and Joffre Guerron, combined with the cold weather and nightmarish pollution, were too much for Thai side Chonburi, as Guoan dismantled them 4-0 Saturday night.

Despite the conditions (the temperature dropped to -2 and pm2.5 was well over 400, or severely polluted), 20,000 plus fans showed up to watch Guoan’s first match of 2014 and they weren’t disappointed. Beijing pounced on their opponent right from the start, with Guerron getting on the end of a long pass, going around the defender and firing into the corner.

The man who was crucial to Guoan’s scoring last season kept it up, already with a taste for goals, it wouldn’t be long before he found the net again, only 10 minutes after the first. Guerron scored a spectacular goal, controlling a a Zhang Xizhe pass, then using his left foot to rip a shot past the keeper.

Utaka, seeing his teammate’s success, decided it was time to get in on the act, heading in a Zhang Xinxin cross in the 18th minute. Just like that, the match wasn’t even 20 minutes old and it was already 3-0, the Thai side was buried. Second half substitute Shao Jiayi added another just for good measure to complete the domination.

The win means Guoan will enter the Asian Champions League for the third year in a row. The side will be grouped against familiar opponents from last season, group stage side Sanfrecce Hiroshima, and Round of 16 team FC Seoul. Completing the group is Australian side Central Coast Mariners. Guoan will open up ACL play at Hiroshima on February 25.