AFP, Shanghai :
Luiz Felipe Scolari’s Guangzhou Evergrande put their AFC Champions League frustrations behind them with a 4-0 win over Tianjin Teda to go top of the Chinese Super League.
Evergrande’s Asian title defence ended at the group stage last week, their earliest exit from the continental competition, prompting a scathing response from Chinese media.
Many commentators have pointed to the departure of prolific Brazilian striker Elkeson, who is now scoring freely for Evergrande’s rivals Shanghai SIPG, as a key reason for their Asian flop.
But Scolari, whose side are chasing their sixth successive domestic crown, blamed the distractions of last year’s Club World Cup in Japan, where Evergrande finished fourth.
“Playing in the World Club Cup back in December really impacted our winter training,” the former Brazil coach told Sina Sports on Sunday.
“But today I think we are finally back to our best and playing at the high level I know we are capable of.”
As club-record signing Jackson Martinez sat out the match through injury, goals from Alan and Yu Hanchao and two from Gao Lin saw Evergrande run the show in Tianjin.
Elsewhere Elkeson caused Evergrande yet more angst as he scored his sixth in all competitions to lead SIPG to a 3-1 win over Changchun Yatai, their third victory in a row.
Argentina’s Dario Conca, who helped Evergrande win their first Asian title in 2013, and former Sunderland striker Asamoah Gyan also scored for Sven-Goran Eriksson’s team.
But Guangzhou R&F did their city rivals a favour by holding second-placed Jiangsu Suning to a 1-1 draw after a late flurry of action.
Former Manchester City striker Jo salvaged a point for Jiangsu with a penalty in the dying seconds following Zeng Chao’s 82nd-minute opener.
Jiangsu’s draw meant they were leapfrogged by Evergrande, who lead the table by one point after gathering 15 from six games. Shanghai SIPG lie third with 11 points.
Hebei China Fortune, who lured Argentina’s Ezequiel Lavezzi from Paris Saint-Germain pre-season, conceded an own goal and a penalty as they lost 2-0 away to Shanghai Shenhua.
Turkish defender Ersan Gulum sliced the ball into his own net in the seventh minute, and Shanghai’s Colombian midfielder Gio Moreno scored from the spot two minutes later.
In an unhappy outing for Hebei, former Shenhua striker Dong Xuesheng also headed against the bar when presented with an open goal.
