Guangzhou Evergrande midfielder Ricardo Goulart (R) competes against Beijing Guoan's Zhao Hejing. (Photo : Getty Images)
Reigning five-time China top flight champions Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao FC crushed capital city team Beijing Guoan FC, 3-0, to win their third consecutive game in the newly-opened 2016 Chinese Super League season in a match held at the Worker's Stadium in Beijing last Saturday.
Brazilian import Ricardo Goulart and local forward Gao Lin, who plays the striker or winger positions for World Cup-winning head coach Luiz Felipe Scolari's squad, were both impressive on the offensive end all throughout the match as the two players are responsible for the three goals produced by the Southern China Tigers.
Gao, 30, is one of the defending champions' most experienced scorers and playmakers who moved to Guangzhou from Shanghai Shenhua in a controversial transfer in March of 2010. He opened the scoring at the 26th minute of the game off a superb assist from Goulart, via Soccerway.
Meanwhile, the 24-year-old São José dos Campos, Brazil native, who was acquired by Evergrande from Brazilian Serie A team Cruzeiro Esporte Clube for a transfer fee of €15 million in January of last year, doubled the lead at the 44th minute as Scolari's boys went up 2-0 at the halftime interval with the assist this time coming from Gao.
Gao made an assist once again with nine minutes remaining before full time to help Goulart score his second goal of the match, completing the three-goal performance of the Tigers and also pulling off the squad's third straight win after losing their season opener against middling team Chongqing Lifan on the road last March 6th.
After the 1-2 opening day loss to Chongqing, Guangzhou beat Changchun Yatai, 3-0, then Guangzhou R&F, 2-0, before this equally dominating performance against the Imperial Guards.
With the result, Beijing Guoan is still winless after three games in the current season and is left at the bottom two relegation zone with Changchun, as reported by Xinhuanet.
Head coach Alberto Zaccheroni's team opened their season with a goalless draw versus Tianjin Teda and was then defeated by last season's China League One titlists Yanbian Funde, 0-1, on the road at the Yanji Nationwide Fitness Centre during their second outing.
The game also marked the first time Guangzhou's new acquisition, Colombian striker Jackson Martinez, was not able to score a goal in a CSL fixture this season.
